NELSON and Colne College's new head is hoping to strengthen links with businesses and industry when she takes up her role.

Lyn Surgeon, who becomes principal of the college on June 2, is looking forward to the challenges involved in the amalgamation of the college, which currently sits on Scotland Road and Barrowford Road.

Ms Surgeon replaces Alison Birkinshaw who left in December to take over the role of principal at York College.

Bosses of the college had twice tried to recruit a replacement for Dr Birkinshaw, but failed to find a suitable candidate.

Ms Surgeon, who has been in her current role as deputy principal for Pendleton College in Salford for four years, was appointed in March and will take over from deputy principle John Farrington.

She will oversee the merger of the two sites onto Scotland Road in September.

Ms Surgeon, who is a keen walker and lives with her husband, Keith, in Helmshore, said: "I want to build on the excellence that is already here to ensure that this is sustained.

"We will be moving into a new building and I am looking forward to moving the site together.

"The college already has an excellent reputation locally and I would be looking to make this a national reputation.

"The college has got good links with the local industries and businesses and I would be looking to strengthen these."

The mother of four boys, aged between 18 and 24, was involved in two Beacon Innovation Projects in her role as Deputy Principal at Pendleton College.

The projects included producing a DVD to illustrate outstanding teaching and developing intranet systems to improve student attendance.

The University of Manchester graduate, who enjoys watching football and is a steward at Manchester Road Methodist Church, in Haslingden, said she was looking forward to the new role in the college, which has 2,700 full-time students.

She said: "Education is about looking outwards as well as inwards and quality must be at the heart of everything we do.

"The college is for everyone in the community from teenagers to adults who want to come back to education and I want to build on this."

Ms Surgeon, who came to Manchester to study from Dorset, started her career teaching English at a school in Pendleton aged 23.

She then taught English at her current college Pendleton for four years before moving to Accrington and Rossendale College for five years.

Ms Surgeon was head of English at Widnes College from 1995 to 1998 before moving to Tameside College as curriculum manager.

She then spent three years as head of English at Ilkley Grammar School before taking up her present role at Pendleton.