SIXTY youngsters from across Blackburn and Darwen showed off their scientific skills at a special rocket day.

The event at Our Lady and St John’s RC College in Blackburn saw pupils launch 20 rockets into the sky after receiving expert tuition in the art.

Professionals from Starchaser, a Salford-based company, gave a talk to the pupils and even treated them to a “propulsion lab” before they were split into groups of four so they could have a go themselves.

They then moved to the all-weather pitches at the school to try them out.

The school has specialist “leading edge school” status, which allows it to bid for projects like the rocket day.

Technology teacher Neil Hodgson said: “It has been a great success and everyone really enjoyed it.

“One of the pupils may go on to study aerospace and could even take to the skies themselves in the future in one of the Starchaser crafts.”