YOUNGSTERS were able to reach for the stars at a special family event at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.

The lab at Harwell opened its doors on Friday for a family space day which allowed children and parents to get a closer look at the workings of the galaxy.

Seven-year-old Laura Miles, from Didcot, was one who visited the lab. She said: “It was fun. I had my face painted and I made a planet.”

Founded in 1957, the lab is one of the UK’s national scientific research laboratories. It employs about 1,200 people helping 10,000 scientists and engineers, chiefly from the university research community.