MORE than 200 schoolgirls from across Somerset took part in a one-day course which aimed to dispel the myth that science and engineering careers are not for women.

The Soroptimist International Taunton's first Skirting Science event, at Taunton School, saw 210 girls take part in interactive workshops delivered by science professionals, including some from Rolls Royce and Engineers without Borders.

The girls also worked in teams to identify food flavourings with TasteTech, experience optical illusions with opticians, experiment with physics tricks with the Institute of Physics, dress up in nuclear protective clothing with Magnox Hinkley Point and build power generators with EDF Energy.

Paramedics from the South Western Ambulance Service Trust and the North Bristol NHS Trust Disablement Services also ran workshops with a medical theme.