BEHIND-the-scenes tours for children at one of the UK’s leading research laboratories have proved so popular that more dates are being arranged.

Some 200 primary school pupils have been invited on the third guided tour at Harwell’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) on Wednesday, March 25.

And demand has been so great from teachers in Oxfordshire and across the Thames Valley that another day is being organised.

Science Oxford school projects manager Natalie Ford said: “RAL has an active outreach team and runs regular visits to the site.

“We have joined forces with them to offer a series of events for students in the Thames Valley region.

“The event on March 25 is so oversubscribed that we have had to organise a second day – which itself is already fully booked.”

Students from Years 5 and 6, aged nine to 11, will attend the even.

They will have the chance to tour the facilities and watch a “light fantastic” science show.

They can then join activities including “comet making”, “robots in space”, marble mazes and balloon cars.

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