THE spirit of Sherlock Holmes is to be evoked at his creator's old school when children are invited to Stonyhurst for a weekend of mystery and suspense.

St Mary's Hall, the preparatory school for Stonyhurst College, is inviting children from all over the country to try life at boarding school and to become super sleuths at the same time.

As well as sampling school away from home they will also hunt for clues that link Arthur Conan Doyle and his popular stories with the writer's school days of 130 years ago.

Arthur Doyle went to Stonyhurst in 1868 at the age of nine, spending his first two years at Hodder Prep School, which predates St Mary's Hall, and a further five at the college.

Next year will be the 75th anniversary of his death. The boarding weekend of October 16 and 17, which is free, is open to children aged seven to 13-years-old.

Activities for amateur sleuths will include a banquet in Baskerville Great Hall, the college's Jacobean refectory, on the Saturday evening and a Sherlock Holmes detective trail on the Sunday.

This will include finding the desk on which the rebellious schoolboy carved his name.

Lawrence Crouch, headmaster of St Mary's Hall, said: "We are proud of our connections with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and are expecting this to be a very popular weekend".

Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. To reserve a place phone the college on 01254 826382.