QUEUES are expected for a ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach or even at the supermarket.

But eager students at an East Lancashire college are so impressed with new technology facilities they are queuing for computers.

St Mary's College in Blackburn opened its million pound Hope Zone multimedia centre six months ago with financial support from Liverpool's Hope University College, which offers degree courses at St Mary's, and the Learning Skills Council (LSC).

It boasts state-of-the-art Internet access and Javelin computers.

Now students are arriving early for lessons and visiting at weekends and during holidays to be sure of getting a place at a workstation.

Paul Holmes, network manager at St Mary's, said: "The Hope Zone has had a massive impact on the attitude of students towards technology and their work in general.

"We have queues every morning with students wanting to gain access before opening time.

"We have even decided to introduce open access to our computer suites during holidays and at weekends, so high is the demand." The centre is now at the forefront of technology for the North West. It was also selected to pilot a pioneering on-line UCAS system which has been developed nationwide.

Teenagers heading off to university in September have been using the connection to research their university choices as well as apply to the institutes electronically.

Paul added: "The UCAS server is one of the many ways the students have benefited 100 per cent.

"Now we can offer outstanding facilities to the local community as well as the students of St Mary's."

Paul attributes much of the success of the centre to the college's partnership with Blackburn-based computer supplier Javelin.

The company helped transfer and install more than 150 workstations with high-spec flat-screen monitors in a weekend.

Javelin, which has two directors who are old boys of the college, have been working in the education and public sectors for over twelve years and count numerous schools, colleges, universities and local authorities among their clients.

Arif Sadiq, the firm's director, and a former student at St Mary's, said: "The Hope Zone was a fantastic project to be involved in, particularly as I and my brother Nasar were once students there."

College principal Michael Finley added: "This facility offers our current and future students the very best in IT and media technology and equips them for the challenges of the 21st century."