WHO says lightning doesn't strike twice? It certainly did for the pupils at Hodgson High School Technology Centre in Poulton.

Not only did the school narrowly escape disaster after being hit by a bolt from the blue during a storm, but it was also struck by a flash of genius, which turned pupils into a bunch of bright sparks!

Bill Allison, senior teacher at the school, told The Citizen how a freak storm on August 22 brought thunder and downpours, pelting the streets with hailstones. "They were the size of ping pong balls", said Mr Allison.

"It was during the storm that a bolt of lightning hit the school's main lightning conductor." Mr Allison said it caused considerable damage -- at the time the school was having 125 new computers fitted.

Mr Allison said: "The lightning travelled down the conductor and through the computer network, causing more than £3,000-worth of damage. We were able to have all the machines fixed before the start of term."

But the electrical storm must have left the school charged with luck as Mr Allison went on to say that only a matter of days after the storm the school received the best GCSE results in its history.

Fifty seven per cent of students in Year 11 achieved grades C or above.

He said: "This is an increase of eight per cent over last year's results and it means that three out of every five in year 11 got at least five GCSEs."

One star pupil, Chris Bracegirlde, achieved ten starred A grades in his GCSEs, a result which Mr Allison said was outstanding.