HUNDREDS of youngsters from Hampshire schools descended on the UK headquarters of computer giant IBM for a four-day science competition.

GCSE students from Bellemoor School and Millbrook Community School in Southampton joined children from across the county at the offices in Hursley for the event, called Blue Fusion.

The teenagers have been working on scientific tasks such as programming a Mars lander craft to land safely, using scanners to solve puzzles, learning how to run e-businesses and molecular modelling.

Up to 200 experts from IBM and other leading UK science industries are on hand to chair discussions and answer questions at the four-day event.