A photograph of a Berlin Holocaust memorial by an Essex schoolboy has won a national award.

The image, entitled Memorial Remembers, won the prize in the social media category of the 2018 Bigger Picture awards, run by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

It was the first time the awards invited submissions via social media, with applicants sharing their entries with the hashtag #esrcphoto.

The winning photograph was taken by Teddie Summers, a 15-year-old from Chelmsford, who described it as “a reflection of the past and a reminder to future generations”.

It was taken at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, in central Berlin.

Teddie said: “I thought the memorial was very pretty, and it felt significant for me to honour the fallen in one way or another.”

The 15-year-old received his prize at an awards ceremony at the Espacio Gallery in Shoreditch, in East London.

More than 550 images were sent in by students from 75 schools, across 118 places in the UK. They shared a vast range of images, taken with cameras, smartphones and tablets.

Professor Jennifer Rubin, the CEO of the ESRC said: “I congratulate all of our winners, who have demonstrated not only exceptional artistic talent, but also thoughtfulness, deep insight, and an understanding of the relevance of social science to their lives.”