A FATHER has told how his 20-year-old daughter watched in horror as the twin towers of the World Trade Centre collapsed before her eyes.

Former Burnley College student Nicola Sherlock is on a six-month work placement with fashion company Ralsey based in Manhattan.

She had arrived at company at 8.45am and was on her way to the 40th floor where she worked when the jets struck.

She was unaware of what had happened but went to the window where her colleagues were looking out and saw the towers on fire.

Her father Brian, of Todmorden, said: "She could see the trade centre towers crumbling and it was quite a shock for her."

The third year knitwear and fashion student is one of several from Nottingham Trent University currently in the States on placements. The university's dean was holding urgent talks yesterday to decide whether to pull Nicola and the other students out of America.

Her parents Brian and Susan, from Lumbutts Road, Todmorden, today said they just wanted their daughter back home.

Brian said: "We were shopping in Huddersfield on Tuesday when we got a call on our mobile phone from a friend of my wife's to say there is some problem in New York get back home.

"When we got home we saw it all on TV, we didn't know at that stage Nicola had tried to ring us ten times but obviously we were out so there was no reply "We managed to get through to her boyfriend and she had called him so he told us she was OK. We have spoken since but she is very shaken by what she saw. Then, they were ordered to stay in the building.

"She has since been allowed home to her apartment which is a few blocks away and her work place was closed yesterday.

"We just want to get her back home."

Brian said his daughter had gone out to learn about the running of the knitwear and fashion business in July and her mum had gone over to stay with her for five days and a second trip was planned in November.

She was responsible for arranging the orders for Hong Kong and she had thoroughly enjoyed her time in Mnahattan.

Nicola is a former pupil of Todmorden High School and studied art and design A-levels at Burnley College. She is in the third year of a four year BA Hons degree and should start her second six-month placement in Nottingham before going on to complete her final year.

She hopes to go into the fashion industry and eventually own her own company.