PUPILS from Collegiate High School, Blackpool have been learning all about cancer, from a robot.

A group of year eight students from the Blackpool Old Road school met the Cancer Research UK science information robot when they visited Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry.

Daniel Davies was one of the youngsters who met the robot before being asked by journalists what they thought of the innovation.

Daniel said: "I thought it was very interesting and I learned a few things that I didn't know about cancer."

The robot has a 17 inch television screen for a head with a 42 inch flat plasma screen on its chest -- all designed to help spread the word about cancer prevention and cure.

Its arrival at the museum coincided with National Science Week.

A spokesman for the school said the pupils were chosen to meet the robot from a 90-strong group visiting the museum.

"I got a phone call in advance and they asked if I had four students to be interviewed. There were people there from the press and Granada TV," she said.

But sadly the children did not get to see themselves on television as the bulletin was broadcast at lunchtime while they were still at the museum, she said.

But the day was very enjoyable, she added. "Pupils go out on geography and history trips, but they don't usually associate science with day trips. The museum is a nice place to go and there are lots of hands-on things -- it was really good fun."