STAFF and pupils have celebrated successful results after a £20,000 experiment to create latest science facilities at their school. The 12 month project came to an end this week when Bolton's director of education Margaret Blenkinsopp officially opened a brand new laboratory at Sharples School. "In terms of teaching equipment this is now the most hi-tech laboratory in the authority," said delighted head of science Mukesh Singadia.

"The old lab was about 22 years old and we could not teach the National Curriculum in the kind of environment we had.

'It was poorly designed, the layout did not make the most of the space available and in a couple of years time it would have been unsafe.

"Luckily the authority stepped in and decided to help us out."

Now after a 12 month redesign project, including a £20,000 refit over the summer holidays, the school can boast the latest in computer and audio visual teaching aids.

It is the second lab to be refurbished at Sharples since the school's decision to shut down an unsafe science room prompted the authority to check all their facilities.

Now Bolton Council have applied for special grants from the Department for Education to upgrade laboratories at other schools in the borough.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.