FLYING saucers made in Burnley have replaced the famous flying ducks on Coronation Street.

The silver saucers with wings were spotted in the hallway of the Malletts house on the TV soap opera last week. Potter Jo Bancroft, 30, who made them, shared news of her TV coup with Prince Charles when he stopped to admire her work at an exhibition in Birmingham.

Joanne, 30, was exhibiting at a Prince's Youth Business Trust Trade Fair at the NEC.

Jo, who lives in Nelson, said : "I pointed them out and mentioned they had been seen on Coronation Street. He just smiled." Jo was unemployed for five years until she started her own business, Zig Zag Studios, based in Burnley, with a loan of £5,000 and a £1,500 grant. The mother of two, who suffers from severe asthma, operates from the supported business units of the East Lancashire Into Employment scheme, which encourages disabled people to consider self-employment and co-operatives.

The Prince also recognised an East lancashire landmark among her work.

Jo said: "One of my pieces is a large vase with a painting of Pendle Hill on it. The Prince recognised the scene and said he was familiar with the area. I was really pleased he came over to talk to me," she added.

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