YOUNG high-flyers met with prospective employers at an event designed to make sure East Lancashire keeps hold of its home-grown talent.

Blackburn's St Mary's College organised the Example: Leadership Challenge, to harness the leadership skills of some of the region's top students, and give them and East Lancashire employers the chance to meet each other.

Head and deputy head boys and girls, and senior prefects - 100 in total - from East Lancashire schools were invited to the event held at Ewood Park, along with a wide range of employers, including the Lancashire Telegraph.

Keynote speakers were David Mallaby, police chief superintendent for East Lancashire; Gill Beeley, chief executive of Lancashire Education Business Partnership; and Philip Naylor, from Manchester University.

Ms Flanagan said: "It was a real success. The response has been extremely positive from both employers and pupils and we will be holding the event again next year."