AN EAST Lancashire student has become a hit on the streets of Uruguay - with his pedal-powered smoothie maker.

Former Stonyhurst College pupil Charlie Stephenson, 20, from Clitheroe, invented the world's first pedal-powered liquidiser that could produce smoothies, with his friend Dan Spencer.

The pair hit the streets of Montevideo last month and have become a hit in its fashionable districts, becom-ing one of the sights of the city.

Local newspaper, El Pais, reported that Charlie and Dan's idea was a novelty', a good fun addition to the city' and christened their invention the bici-liquadora'.

Their company Smoove, a Spanish interpretation of smoothie, was set up as part of Charlie's Spanish and business degree at the University of Bath.

Charlie is currently studying in the Faculty of Business Administration at ORT University, in Montevideo, where he is doing a course on New Company Creation.

Students on the course were set the task of creating an operating profitable business.

The pair used mobile knife- grinder technology which used to be common place in Montevideo. It is based on a bicycle which, when mounted on a stand, could be pedalled and, by way of a variety of gears, drive a sharpening wheel.

They took this idea and created a new version of the bicycle, where pedal-power could drive a liquidiser and they added a top-box for the ingredients.

Charlie said: "Smoove offers a healthy, refreshing alternative to ice-creams to people strolling along the Montevideo Ramblas and it is very environmentally-friendly as most of its energy is generated from the operator."

Jonathan Hewat, Stonyhurst College admissions and marketing Manager, said: "It was a tall order, you might think, for a student getting to grips with a new culture, a new university and a foreign language - but not for Charlie.

"We are not surprised by Charlie's entrepreneurial spirit as he always showed his ingenuity and imagin-ation whilst a pupil at Stonyhurst."