AN exchange organisation is appealing to families in East Lancashire to give two teenagers from Mexico a home for ten months.

Instep is based in Preston and organises UK study trips for foreign students. It has already found temporary homes around Lancashire for ten school pupils from Brazil and Mexico who will attend a local school and improve their English. But Gabriel Ramirez, 17, and Beatrice Pena, 18, have been left homeless after delays brought about by the Sars outbreak and the Iraq war.

It means Instep has only five weeks to find them family homes.

The two school pupils, of Tepic, Mexico, are staying in temporary accommodation. The students will attend the closest school for the academic year.

Malcolm Hordern, operations manager of Instep, said: "Expenses are paid to families, all we ask is they take a student in and treat them like their own for ten months. Nine times out of ten everyone has a wonderful time."

The scheme has been running for five years but this is the first time families in Blackburn and Burnley have been approached to act as hosts.

Gabriel is described as "very bubbly" and Beatrice would love a busy household but isn't keen on pets.

Anyone interested in hosting a student should call 07760287337 or email: malcolm@hordern43.freeserve.co.uk.