A TEAM of students are preparing for the Arctic expedition of a lifetime.

The three year 10 girls from Pleckgate High School, Blackburn, froze out competition from across the country to win a place on a 10-day trip to the North Pole.

The team, called Pleckgate-Go-Get-Us, entered Ice Edge, a national schools environmental competition organised by London-based education foundation Edge.

Their idea of a carbon credit card which can track the user's carbon footprint led them to be named the North West and West Midlands regional winners.

Pleckgate-Go-Get-Us members 15-year-olds Alex Purdie and Sonia Slaam and Roshni Valibhai, 14, will visit Svalbard, a group of Norwegian islands located at the edge of the Arctic Ocean, from July 4 to 14.

The trio travelled to London for the national final and presented their idea to a panel of judges. Out of 37 teams in the final, only 12 were picked to go on the trip.

Sonia said: "We thought we might have a chance because the presentation had gone well and the judges seemed impressed.

"We came up with the idea by thinking about global warming, and then about history. We discussed how in the past food used to be rationed, so we thought, why not ration energy too? The idea for the carbon credit card grew from that. Users would have to buy carbon points to offset what they use."

Head of year 10, Rob Hamilton, said: "The girls spent several months working on this idea, doing it in their own time at lunch and after school.

"Geography teacher Claire Barton helped, but it's all down to their own dedication.

"We're all delighted for them - not only is it a great achievement, they are three absolutely smashing girls who really deserve it."

The pupils will visit The University Centre in Svalbard where they will meet scientists and students from all over the world and take part in activities including polar bear spotting and glacier walking.

The Carbon Neutral Company has calculated the emissions created by the flights and travel arrangements, and will offset them through various methods, including forestry.

Edge ran the contest to get students thinking about practical solutions to environmental problems.

Pupils from across the country submitted ideas to prevent global warming, pollution and other environmental dangers.