A BURNLEY student has been rubbing shoulders with the leader of the United Nations, Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Former Towneley High School pupil Sulman Hassan is working as a legal intern at the UN headquarters in New York and has seen Mr Annan, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001, several times.

The 22-year-old said: "It was arranged for Kofi Annan to meet all the interns and he asked how things were. I have seen him several times in conferences and meetings."

Sulman is working for the UN while he takes a break from studying law and politics. He grew up in Brunshaw and his interest in helping others began when he was just ten, helping out with charity events.

As a teenager he became a volunteer at Burnley General Hospital. He also worked in the British Heart Foundation shop in Burnley, raised money for Marie Curie Cancer in Clitheroe and, as a member of the Communication Workers Union, worked as a branch officer and legal officer.

Sulman said: "I wanted to gain first-hand experience in seeing the UN at work for the global community.

"Life is great here, nearly as good as life in Britain.

Sulman completed a Masters degree in International and European Law before going to the States and plans to continue studying when he returns home.