SWEETS, chocolates, crisps and a whole host of treats teenagers usually can't live without were off the menu for youngsters at a Rossendale school.

Year nine pupils at Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School in Waterfoot agreed to a 24-hour fast after an assembly by Rossendale Hospice fund-raising manager Liz Nelson.

She told the youngsters about the work of the hospice and how vital it is to keep funds flowing in so that the services currently offered can continue.

They were quick to volunteer to help when Lucy Noone and Christina Crolle-Barker devised the 24-hour fast. They made their own sponsor forms, wrote letters to parents to get consent for classmates to take part and designed posters.

Head of year nine Tony Edwards said: "The project has been overseen by assistant head of year nine Stephen Haycocks, who also agreed to give up food for a day.

"The fast started at 9am and continued until the end of school, at home and until 9am today.

"We were very pleased with the number of students who volunteered to take part because it will not have been easy for any of them.

"They may have got some teasing from some other students who were not taking part but they all knew what they were doing was for a good cause."

The students were allowed to eat boiled sweets so that they maintained their sugar intake and allowed to drink as much water as they needed.

They still had to attend lessons and there was no respite from studies, but they were advised not to run around or play football and games during break.

Mr Edwards said: "A lot have been sponsored £20 or £30 each so we should raise quite a few hundred pounds and we will be inviting Liz back to collect the cheque. It will have made them realise what it is like in other countries where food is not so plentiful."