SLEEPLESS nights and endless nappy changes are not something most of us relish but at one Blackburn school teenagers are queuing up to take it on.

The 14 and 15-year-olds at Witton Park High School in Buncer Lane, Blackburn are clammering to get the chance to try 48 hours of feeds, changes and crying with a "virtual" baby, supplied by the local Brook advisory centre.

The scheme has been so popular organisers have decided to extend it so that all children with the in-school inclusion centre get a chance to be a virtual parent.

The aim is to put them off having babies as teenagers.

Sue Hall, from the in-school centre, which takes children who would otherwise have been excluded from school, said the project had already had a good effect.

Fourteen-year-old Erica Smith, who was the first to take on the baby, got so frustrated after 24 hours she brought it back, leaving staff with a crying baby.

She said: "The first night was hard work. It woke me up four times."

The next pupil to take up the challenge will be Chris Hopkinson, 14.

Sue said: "We had a really good follow-up discussion. It was quite an experience for us, as we had a crying baby and couldn't stop it crying. After we'd fed and changed it, it still cried, so we had to walk it up and down for a while."

She added: "The girls that we identify are very strongly saying that they would like a child.

"They are often particularly vulnerable, and through talking to them, we often discover that they believe the solution to all their problems would be to have a child.

"We work with them on their self esteem and on good parenting skills. This scheme discourages them from having a child because they find they have to take the baby along if they are going out socially, and they also have to take the baby on the bus, which can be tricky."

The school does not have a higher than average number of teenage pregnancies, Sue said.

The scheme will also include boys, and is now a rolling programme which will mean all 15 members will get a chance to try the baby.

A science class in the school with 26 pupils is also doing a similar project with another virtual baby.

The 7lb newborn, which comes with all its accessories, including pram, changing bag and feeding bottles, needs feeding at least every four hours, including during the night, just like a real newborn.

Pupils wanting to take on the virtual baby must have their parents' consent and a workbook with instructions must be completed.

Jessica Stam from Brook, a sex advice centre for young people, in Blackburn, said: "Taking home the baby is part of a larger piece of work. We outline the realities of parenthood taking into account costs among other things.

"The young people have to attend three education sessions before taking the baby home."