A STUDENT could see one of his designs in toy shops nationwide.

Duncan Street, 24, designed a tag which will be used on a cuddly toy for Banbury-based charity Dogs For the Disabled.

The charity is in talks with a national toy chain and hopes the fluffy dog, and its L-plate tag, could be in stores by the end of the year.

It hopes sales of the dog might raise thousands of pounds for the charity.

Dogs for the Disabled came up with the idea after a similar initiative in Spain raised more than £100,000.

They contacted graphic design students at Oxford and Cherwell Valley College’s Banbury campus in Broughton Road, and gave them a month to come up with a design for an ear tag for a toy puppy.

The cardboard tag tells people about the toy and explains the work of the charity.

About 25 students took part, but Mr Street, of Dexter Road, Banbury, who is in the first year of a two-year national diploma course, won.

He said: “Winning something like this is awesome for me. It will be great for my portfolio. When I go for my interview for university I can say I have already got active designs out there.”

Mr Street, a former shop worker, said he spent about 15 hours on the project.

College spokesman Cid Carr said: “We’re always happy for our students to explore real business challenges and these young graphic designers, tutored by Dave Thornhill, are thrilled to have created a winning design for such a worthwhile cause.”

Steve Billington, director of marketing at Dogs for the Disabled, said: “The help we’ve received from the college has been invaluable.

“We hope that this is just one of a number of projects we’ll work together on over the coming year.”

Dogs For the Disabled was set up in 1988.

The dogs help disabled people with tasks such as opening and closing doors, helping them undress, and even emptying the washing machine. They can also assist with daily physiotherapy routines.

Assistance dogs help adults and children with physical disabilities, and families with a child who has autism, by being a calming focus for the child.

It costs about £10,000 to train an eight-week-old puppy to become an assistance dog.