JAYNE Pringle is a twin with a mission -- and she wants others to follow in her footsteps!

The retained firefighter (right), who serves at Colne station with her twin Claire (left), is hoping identical volunteers from across East Lancashire will go to Pendle Leisure Centre, Colne, later this month to help her out.

Jayne, 24, of Colne, is writing a thesis as part of her studies at Salford University on whether identical twins have identical footprints or if feet, like fingerprints, have unique prints of their own. She is part way through a course in podiatry, the study of feet.

She is organising a social night at the centre on August 18 for identical twins in the hope they will be prepared to "bare their soles" for her thesis.

"I'm looking for willing volunteers," said Jayne. "It will be a social evening for people to get together but I'm hoping that as part of it people will be willing for me to take prints of their feet."

That will involve Jayne taking certain measurements and using dusting powder and specially coated paper to get an impression of footprints which she will study later to see if identical twins have identical prints. "The powder goes on the sole of the feet and then you stand on the special plastic sheet and it leaves a print of the foot," explained Jayne. "It only takes a moment.

"As far as I know no-one's ever done this kind of study before."

Sadly Jayne cannot take part herself because she and Claire are not identical. People taking part must be identical and aged over 16 years old.

Ideally Jayne needs ten sets of twins to take part but she is hoping more than that number will turn up.

"The idea is that it will be a social event and if people don't want to get involved they won't have to," she added. "I'm just hoping that as they relax and enjoy themselves someone will volunteer and then it might encourage others to get involved."

In April 1999 the then Mayor of Pendle, Councillor Colin Waite, who is a twin, held a special civic reception for twins in the borough. It is hoped that at least some of them will take part in Jayne's unusual study.

Anyone interested in going along is asked to contact Jayne on 01282 869931.