STUDENTS in Eastleigh have welcomed a Nobel Prize-winning scientist to their college.

On Friday (September 20), biochemist Sir Tim Hunt visited Barton Peveril College and called on young scientists to pursue “their understanding of the unexpected.”

He gave the 2013 Aspire Science Lecture at the college, encouraging them to have fun making the great discoveries of their generation Addressing the students, who are enrolled on the Gifted and Talented programmes at Barton Peveril and local secondary schools, he said: “The most important and interesting things you do as a scientist are when you don't know where you are going.

“It's then that you make discoveries - and discovery is the whole point of science.”

Earlier in the day Sir Tim officially opened the £4.2m, environmentally-friendly Nobel Building. It will be home to the Psychology, Maths and Computer Science departments.

Barton Peveril principal, Jonathan Prest, said: “As a college we are well known for our outstanding reputation in the visual arts, English and performing arts, but I sometimes think we hide our light under a bushel when it comes to science and maths.”