RIVER City actor Frank Gallagher takes a break from shooting a scene with school pupils Laura Gwarimbo and Nicole Carrick as the 16-year-olds were given a taste of working in the television industry.

Pupils from S5 and S6 at St Peter the Apostle in Clydebank worked with the BBC's LAB project to write and act out their own mini drama for the cameras.

With help from script writer Sergio Casci and Gallagher, who plays gangster Lenny Murdoch in the soap, the group used all the elements of a typical TV production unit to complete their episode.

Maria McElhinney, the school's drama teacher, said taking part had given the pupils greater confidence about the possibility of pursuing a career in the industry.

She said: "The workshops were brilliant and the feedback I've had from the students has all be really great.

"They all loved the experience and they were able to find out a whole lot about the business.

"It can be hard sometimes for kids to get up-to-date careers advice regarding the creative industries but the workshop leaders were all able to give them valuable, practical advice. The students are looking to BBC apprenticeship schemes — which they didn't know about before — and the workshops have given them much more confidence about their opportunities."

The short episode will be feature in a special screening be premiered at the BBC headquarters in March.

Picture: Martin Shields