High hopes and blessings as the Bishop of Lancaster turned the first sod at the new site of Newman Catholic School.

The only Catholic secondary school in the city has had its fair share of devastation over the years.

Its original home on Lismore Place was submerged in seven feet of water when Storm Desmond struck in December 2015.

Members of the clergy and supporters of the school spent the afternoon celebrating finally seeing the project move in the right direction.

The Bishop of Lancaster Paul Swarbrick said: “So many meetings you go to and there is just talk just piles of paper and people just go away with action points snags arise and so often you are being hit by things that are slowing you down, making it more complicated. I came here today, I drove past the site, and to see all the earthwork that is going on, that’s people getting together, government, church and the local community and making something happen for these kids. And, it’s lovely to see.”

“It has been a very difficult time for the head John McAuley, the governors, the diocese and the kids generally and they’ve kept their heads up, they’ve been working out of boxes.”

It's great now to see, we have known for so long this building is being planned and the idea of being able to see the diggers and workmen on site is brilliant.

there is a buzz going round the school all the staff and the students because they see the images and they drive past and they know it's going to be a reality.”

Students from the school watched as the Bishop broke ground, Cliodhna Denny, 13, a year nine pupil at Newman School said: “It’s exciting to be here where the new school is going to be built and it's going to be very important to be here, the floods impacted school life so having the new school is going to be amazing."

Jake Robinson,14, and a student at the school said: "It's great to be here and exciting to see what our new school will look like. I'm really looking forward to being in a proper school building."

Newman School has spent more than three years in temporary accommodation in Harraby after it was forced from its home to the former Pennine Way Primary School in Silverdale Road.

Throughout the project pupils from the school will have the chance to come to the site and learn more about the construction work that is involved, giving them a unique chance to play a part in the building of their own school.

Paul Mullen, Project Manager from Galliford Try said: "It's always great to engage young minds, it will be fantastic to get feedback from the children, especially when they move into the school and they're able to see from an early stage how the project progresses.

"We have spoken with the school and if any students have an interest in construction or the sixth formers are wanting to move into the industry, we're more than happy to talk to engineering students and people who have an interest."