THESE potential engineers of the future had concentration etched on their faces as they used their ingenuity to build an intricate free-standing tower.

Lucy Brotherton and Millie Jones, both 13, used pieces of spaghetti wedged into soft marshmallows to create their tower as part of National Women in Engineering Day last week at St Helen and St Katharine School in Abingdon.

Lucy said: “It was interesting to see how different shapes work.

“Triangles work better for stability in buildings.”

Headteacher Rebecca Dougall said: “The national picture is frustrating, and we have to keep celebrating the many successful women who are engineers in so many fields, and not let outdated stereotypes limit girls’ aspirations.”

The day began with talks from Judith Hackitt, chairman of the Health and Safety Executive, about the impact women make in engineering, and ex-pupil Claire Simpson, about her fascinating career as an engineer for the Mercedes F1 team.