SPECIAL edition copies of Emily Bronte's classic "Wuthering Heights" have been presented to pupils at a Blackburn secondary school by British Telecom.

But the books are only a small part of the help that BT is giving to Queens Park High School, Shadsworth.

The donation of the 25 copies is part of a continuing programme of help to Queens Park which is one of 18 "link schools" in the North West.

BT quality control manager Michael Cruise acts as liaison between the school and the telecommunications giant.

"Link schools receive certain advantages such as connection to BT's on-line education database, Campus World," he said.

"But it is not always the high profile activities that are the most useful to the school. "In the last 12 months I have been able to arrange help in kind, amounting to a few thousand pounds, ranging from specially modified telephone equipment for mock interviews to passing on a redundant BT photocopier and 2,000 unwanted ring binders."

Michael is also helping the school's head of industry links, Darryl Nugent, to present a bid for a share of BT's annual £20,000 fund set aside to help link schools undertake technology-based projects.

Mr Cruise added: "BT aims to be at the heart of the community from which it draws its business. The link school scheme targets specific schools and shows pupils that a large company is prepared to take an interest in their futures and make a real contribution to improve standards."

Head teacher Sue Hyland said: "The benefits from being linked to a company like BT are huge. In the coming years telecommunications will be increasingly important in our lives, not least of all in the education field.

"We want to be sure that pupils at Queens Park High School have every opportunity in order to be successful and whether it is a donation of books or a greater understanding of telephony, a good relationship with industry is an essential part of the education process."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.