COMPUTER whizz-kids can now take an even bigger byte at their favourite subject thanks to a surprise present from a hi-tech firm.

Sharples School has just become the proud owner of a state-of-the-art £700 computer thanks to a donation from a Leigh-based technology company.

And the new computer will now take pride of place with others at the school's ICT suite.

School head of ICT Paul Lord said: "We were contacted by computer firm DC Electronics of Leigh who make a lot of charitable donations to different bodies.

"Their representative Dariosh Afshar said we had been chosen to receive an award and we could choose between a computer, digital camera or printer so we went for the PC."

He added: "It is a really generous donation and a top flight computer which will be well used by the pupils."

Mr Afshar, whose daughter Rachael is a Year 9 pupil at Sharples, was on hand at the school to present Mr Lord and GCSE ICT pupils Craig Egan and Leanne Duffy with the serious bit of kit.

Mr Lord added: "We have just got an interactive whiteboard for the school and we will be linking the new computer to this so the pupils and teachers can present their work in style."