EMERALD green flames and bright pink foam spurted from glass beakers as school scientists exhibited their expertise.

Colourful chemistry demonstrations lit up laboratories during the Oxfordshire Technician Conference, which united science technicians from across the county.

The event on Wednesday was run by Science Learning Partnerships (SLP) at Oxford Spires Academy, and hosted by Abingdon School.

Technicians attended from a range of schools and learnt a host of skills from DNA fingerprinting to data logging.

Organiser Jackie Merritt, administrator at SLP, said: "This is a very important event to help champion the school science technician support teams in all Oxfordshire schools.

"With budgets tight in schools, support staff are usually targeted first when making cuts.

"Science technicians are an integral part of the science department in schools."