A junior Government minister was left star-struck after Keighley MP Ann Cryer told her about the town’s space centre.

Diana Johnson was so impressed that she travelled north to see the Star Centre for herself.

Miss Johnson, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools, toured the hi-tech complex.

The hope is she will fight the centre’s corner when it seeks Government funding for future running costs.

The centre, off Dalton Lane, is part of the Keighley Campus of Leeds City College.

It has a Mars scape, spaceship mock-up, mission control, planetarium and planetary rover.

Local schoolchildren are invited to the centre in a bid to get them interested in science-based subjects.

The work contributes to the Government’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (Stem) agenda, designed to meet the future skills needs of high-tech industry.

Miss Johnson, who has responsibility for Stem subjects, decided to visit after listening to Mrs Cryer and Star Centre project manager Mark Curtis.

They were visiting London in a bid to secure long-term funding for the centre.

A new version of the Star Centre will soon be built in the new Keighley Campus building next to the railway station.

Construction costs are being covered by Government development agency Yorkshire Forward, but it is unclear how the centre will be funded in the long term.

Miss Johnson was impressed with the Star Centre and said she had not seen anything like it elsewhere in the country.

She said: “You can see how much the children are enjoying it. It is engaging them with science at an early age.”

Mrs Cryer said: “In our modern technological society, we need a workforce that is well educated in all aspects of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“The Star Centre uses space as a ‘hook’ to grab the attention and inspire children, their teachers and parents too.”

Mr Curtis said: “We were thrilled to welcome the minister to Keighley to showcase the unique work the Leeds City College is doing to encourage seven to 16-year-olds into undertaking science-related subjects.

“We hope that we will excite and inspire young people into considering careers within Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics sectors.”

Mr Curtis hoped the Keighley Star Centre would become a model for similar centres in colleges across the UK.