SCHOOLCHILDREN across the country, including pupils from Westholme Middle School and Queen's Park High School, Blackburn, were taking part in a record- breaking jump today.

The Giant Jump is part of a national scientific experiment, which officially launches Science Year, and aims to see if the earth can move. Results will be monitored on national and local earthquake detectors.

David Hawksett of Guinness World Records said: "This will be the greatest simultaneous jump in history -- a true ground-breaking Guinness World Record." Science co-ordinator at Westholme Middle School, Jayne Shipley said the jump went well despite the drizzle.

Two hundred pupils and 12 staff took part and they did warm-up exercises before the jump.

Pupil Neena Singh, aged 10, said : "I t was fun. I don't think the earth moved but we made a lot of noise."