AN engineer from Leyland who helped build the doomed space shuttle Columbia has spoken for the first time about his heartache following the deaths of the seven astronauts.

John Burrell, who works for NASA, watched with horror as the shuttle exploded and fell to earth in pieces over Texas.

"I was at home when I saw the news on TV and, as with Challenger, I just waited and waited, hoping it was just a glitch. It was obvious on the faces of the ground controllers that it had gone."

The father-of-two who helped to build the giant rocket which powered Columbia into orbit, felt he had a special link to the dead astronauts.

He said: "Space flight will always be dangerous, and there could be more disasters. But, give me the chance and I will be on the very next flight, as I'm sure would all the astronauts."

He attended the former Fox Lane Infants' School and Balshaws Grammar School, Leyland and went on to serve an apprenticeship with a Salwick firm.

He then attended Harris Technical College -- now the University of Central Lancashire.