THOUSANDS packed into an open evening at Westhoughton High School -- to investigate the premises.

As part of the school's annual event, teachers in the Science block organised an unusual experiment.

Parents and pupils were invited to take part in an investigation. Using all their powers of detection, and scientific developments in forensic science, they were challenged to discover the identity of the character responsible for a blood stained skeleton left cordoned off by police barriers, in a classroom.

And the initiative proved so popular that during the course of the night, the science block had to be shut off because too many people were going into it.

Despite the fibres being investigated through microscopes, slime trails left, and a variety of clues, the identity of the murderer remained a mystery. But the BEN can reveal it was Mrs Peacock.

In addition to the murder mystery, art students worked on sculpture mosaics, music was provided, together with a continental cafe and cabaret. Mathematical games took place and artefacts from all religions were on display.

A school spokesman said: "We had 600 programmes printed and one was distributed per group. We began handing them out at 6.30pm, and by 7.05pm, they were all gone.

"It was an extremely busy night."