A sixteen-year-old Blackburn girl has been named one of the top young physicists in the country after winning a gold medal in the British Physics Challenge Competition.

Neelam Hassan, from Queen's Park, Blackburn, was the only female out of the fifteen bright sparks who were recognised by the Royal Society in London.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with students from Eton College, Charter House, Kingston Grammar School and Winchester, the Westholme pupil said she was overwhelmed when she realised she was the only girl in the country to be recognised and the only winner from the whole of the north of England.

She said: "The Royal Society building is really grand and lavish with the ceiling all gilded in gold. With portraits of all the eminent scientists from the 1600s onwards everywhere, it was quite daunting.

"I had hoped that there would be another girl, as I had seen that one of the other winners was called Chris but it was a boy.

"All the other winners were standing there wearing their dark blazers and then there was me wearing a pink jacket!"

To win the award Neelam, who hopes to eventually study medicine at university, sat an hour-long physics paper at the Meins Road school.

Her physics teacher, Christine Mason, said she was so impressed with its standard that she had no hesitation in entering Neelam for the award.

She accompanied Neelam to the awards ceremony on April 28 and was the only female physics teacher present.

Mrs Mason, said: "This is the first time that the school has won this award and we are absolutely delighted for Neelam and we are very proud of her.

"This award just goes to show that females can excel in areas that are traditionally considered to be male dominated subjects or professions.

"There are more and more girls getting into science and at Westholme the pupils are encouraged in whatever they choose to study."

After Neelam was presented with her award and a book, signed by Cyril Isenberg, secretary of the Royal Society, they were treated to a lecture on Synchronization from coupled pendular to bose Einstein Condensation by professor PB Littlewood, of Cambridge University.

Neelam added: It really didn't sink in when I heard that I had won the award.

"But now I would say to any girls who want to study science or any other subject that is male dominated, just to go for it.

"We can do anything that boys can and I even understood most of the professors lecture!