A TEACHER will step back 170 million years after being given the chance to go "dinosaur digging" in Scarborough.

Suzanne McGroarty, 28, of Trinity Towers, Accrington Road, Burnley, will be part of a 30-strong team of winners from across the country, who will be extracting information about the pre-historic creatures.

Suzanne, a teacher at Hollins High School in Accrington, has been chosen for an Earthwatch Dinosaur Footprints dig in Scarborough after winning an Amerada Hess Environmental Award.

The awards enable secondary school teachers to join UK conservation projects and gain hand-ons experience of environmental research.

When Suzanne returns she will be given a £250 grant to design and implement a Community Action Plan to share her experiences with the pupils.

She said: "It is a great opportunity to work alongside experts in the field and gain first-hand experience of research into dinosaurs and their behaviour.

"I have always been interested in Palaeontology, which is the study of life in the geological past, so I consider myself very lucky to be given the opportunity to do this."

Suzanne will be assisting scientists in Scarborough, who are studying the footprints of the dinosaurs who roamed Yorkshire's moors and coast 170 million years ago.

The footprints provide clues to how many different types of dinosaur there were, revealing their overall size and behaviour and showing how fast the animals were able to move.

A typical day will include taking moulds, and recording prints with drawings and photographs.

Suzanne entered herself for the award by showing environmental community projects which she has undertaken in the past.

And to add another feather to her cap she has recently found out that she has won another environmental award to go out to Majorca in July to take part in an archaeological dig for two weeks.

Suzanne has also carried out a number of environmental projects at the school including raising money for a garden which she is planning to develop when she gets back from the trip.

She added: "I am sure all the students will be interested in my work in Scarborough so I am planning a mini dinosaur expedition when I get back."

Earthwatch community programmes manager Sharon Williams added: "The Amerada Hess Environment Awards are important because they give teachers the chance to look at environmental issues in a way that is exciting and immediate.

"This enables them to go back to their classroom and communities with increased awareness about conservation, creating a network of ambassadors for the environment."