The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, will officially open Blackburn College's new St Paul's Centre on Friday.

The ceremony, to take place at 11am BST, will also be attended by the Mayor and Mayoress of Blackburn, council leaders and students.

Dr Sentamu has agreed to open the new building, built to house the college's sixth form and IT centre.

The development is only phase one of the college's multi-million pound masterplan to transform the college into a world-class campus.

The Archbishop will also watch as students from local schools take part in the opening ceremony. They are scheduled to seal a time capsule containing present day items including photos of their school activities together with items reflecting life at Blackburn College.

Dr Sentamu studied law at Makerere University and then worked as a barrister, before becoming a judge in the Uganda High Court.

In 1974, his criticism of the Amin regime for its human rights violations led to his arrest and departure from Uganda for the UK. He then went on to study theology at Cambridge.