Preston youngsters got a glimpse behind the safety cordon of a major construction site at the city’s university.

The University of Central Lancashire have pre-school children the chance to see the new £8.15million social spaces coming together on campus.

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The pre-school students donned their hard hats and hi-vis jackets for a tour.

Charlie Conlon, the larger than life mascot for builders Conlon Construction, led the group round.

Chief operating officer at UCLan Michael Ahern said: As the Masterplan develops we are committed to keeping the wider community up-to-date with progress, and we felt it was important for the children to understand what is being built in their city too. It was also a great opportunity to teach the children about the construction industry, as well as to promote the different risks on a construction site and the importance of keeping safe.”

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The pupils all attend UCLan’s pre-school centre which has places for up to 90 children aged six months to four years.

Officer in charge of the pre-school centre Saskia Holt said: “Our visit to the construction site was truly magical for the children. They loved seeing all the diggers in action and being able to talk to the site manager, as well as the surprise visit from Charlie Conlon. It was a wonderful experience which tied in with our learning thread of discovering more about the ‘people who help us’.”

UCLan is spending millions creating new social spaces at the Greenbank, Harrington and Foster buildings on campus. It says the new areas mean students can relax or have informal lessons in the new seating areas.

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Chairman at Conlon Construction Michael Conlon said: As a member of the Considerate Constructors Scheme, we are always looking for opportunities to support and get involved with the communities in which we operate. A site visit led by an entertaining mascot creates an exciting learning experience and we enjoy seeing children get involved in hands-on activities that teach them different aspects of construction and hopefully inspires them for a future career in the industry.”