A GROUP of enterprising Leigh teenagers have attracted the attention of nationwide organisations after devising a ground-breaking electronic gadget.

Students at Bedford High School have produced a "rain alarm" to warn blind people to rush out and save their washing.

The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) and Age Concern have both expressed an interest in the product.

And the invention has already caught the eye of judges as the budding inventors, aged 15 to 16, have won through the first leg of a national competition.

The ingenious contraption is a small black box which is placed on the inside of a window sill.

A lead runs outside and triggers an alarm when rain drops start to fall -- providing the box is switched on.

They hope the alarm will be of use to the blind, the elderly, people who have children playing outside or when washing is hung outside to dry.

The pupils came up with the idea of a rain alarm for the Young Enterprise Scheme. Student Lee Speakman, the production director, explained: "Our only other competition is a box made by the RNIB. But ours is a much smaller box. Their box costs in the region of £20 but ours would only cost about £5.

"The RNIB has expressed interest in our product and might endorse it. We have also been talking to Age Concern. The market has not really been explored and we have improved on the existing design."

John Dawson, who teaches business studies and computers, explained how the competition had inspired the pupils.

"The Young Enterprise Scheme is a national competition. It aims to give pupils a flavour of setting up and running their own business. The students have to come up with a product, market it and then sell it."

The students, who are all fifth formers, apart from one who is in the fourth year, have organised themselves as if they were a real company.

They have even appointed their own board of directors and a managing director. Mr Dawson said: "They are set up exactly the way a company is run."

And he added he tried to stay in the background so most of the work was done by the students. The students have called their "company" Endeavour and have adopted a Chinese symbol standing for optimism as their company logo. In an interim competition held last week, the youngsters competed against 16 schools -- including at least one sixth form college -- in the Wigan area and gave a presentation to three judges about their companies and products.

And Bedford High made such a big impression they left with first prize.

Mr Dawson said winning was all the sweeter because this was the first time the school had entered the competition.

"The school headteacher Stephen Preston is over the moon about it and he thinks it's a significant achievement for the school."

The youngsters will take part in a local trade fair on February 10 where they will sell their product.

And they have been busy raising the cash so they can get enough stock to sell. Mr Dawson said: "They've worked very hard -- giving up a lot of their break times. They have organised a tuck shop a disco and they've even held a pop quiz."

Lauren Hunter, the 16-year-old 'managing director' of Endeavour said they had all benefited from taking part in the scheme. "I think it has improved our communication skills."