RISHTON student Ben Callon couldn't bear to be parted from his girlfriend when he won a sports scholarship to America so he arranged for her to be awarded one at the same university.

The 19-year-old, of Essex Road, Rishton, learned in January that he had won a football scholarship to the University Rio Grande in Ohio, along with his pal Mark Berry, also 19, of Burnley.

The pair play for Colne, and while on a week-long trip to Ohio in April Ben asked about an athletics scholarship for Joanne Galeski, 19, who competes in the 100 metres sprint, and was delighted when the university said 'yes'.

"He came back and said they wanted to offer me a scholarship as well," said Joanne, also of Essex Road, Rishton.

"I was really happy because I have always wanted to live and work abroad. I will be training every day and have quite a heavy schedule competition-wise, and there is also travel all over America, so it will be brilliant."

The three teenagers will head off for their new life in America on Sunday to start a four-year degree in sports and exercise.

Ben, a central midfielder for Colne, said: "I'm looking forward to it now everything is finalised.

"They take sport a lot more seriously over there so we had to have medicals.

"Football is quite big in Ohio. Apart from basketball more scholarships are given for football than any other sport".