A PRESTON student has landed a place at Oxford University and, by a twist of fate, so has her long lost cousin.

If that was not coincidence enough, Lucy Hawarden, of Lyndale Grove, Lostock Hall, will be studying on the same chemistry degree course as her cousin, Rebecca Swarbrick, who she has not seen for more than a decade!

It was while Lucy, 18, was being interviewed for a place on the course at Jesus College, Oxford, recently, that a college lecturer introduced her to Rebecca, also a prospective Oxford student, from Altrincham, near Manchester. The two girls then realised with amazement that they were related but only after they had chatted about their respective families.

Now they have provisional places on the same course which only offers about six places to students annually.

Lucy, studying A-levels at Cardinal Newman College, Preston, said: "It was really weird. I hadn't seen Rebecca since I was ten and I didn't know she was interested in science. We spent the whole weekend together and went shopping and went out for dinner. It was great!"

Lucy's mother Annette, a special needs teacher at Penwortham Girls High School, said: "I am very proud of Lucy. She has done so well to get a place. She wants to go into pharmaceutical research.

"The odds of both girls getting a place when there are only about six offered is remarkable!"

Lucy added: "I've got a ready made friend when I go down there and we are both based at Jesus College, it's brilliant!"

Lucy will be taking A-level examinations in maths, chemistry, biology and geography this year.