It's a scoop for young news-hounds from Barry Comprehensive! (From Barry And District News)

It's a scoop for young news-hounds from Barry Comprehensive!

4:30pm Monday 8th February 2010

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NEWS-HOUNDS from Barry Comprehensive school have scooped an exclusive after winning a Wales-wide competition to get their story aired on TV.

Year 9 pupils Robert Clough and Jac Limbrick, both 14, and Robert Sheppard, 13, impressed decision-makers enough to land the opportunity to research, film and produce an item, which will be screened on ITV Wales news, after choosing to focus on Barry’s former Theatre Royal cinema.

The privately owned cinema, the last remaining such facility in Wales’ largest town, closed in 2008 despite campaigners’ efforts to keep it open.

The youngsters told producers how they envisaged the story looking, interviewed people in Barry, and will spend time supervising the editing process.

Head of Media Studies Jane Edwards said she had got together with her English class to encourage pupils to submit entries for the 'and finally' item.

And the school had the call just after Christmas to say one of the entries had taken the honours.

"Against all odds, these boys won!" she said.

"Wales had the most entries out of all the regions."

Robert Sheppard said: "The cinema was a key part of our community and we were sad to see it go."

Jac continued: "To go to the cinema I have to travel all the way to Cardiff.

"We don’t really do stuff in Barry now."

Robert Clough said they were all very excited about featuring on the news programme.

"What we don’t want is the council to turn it into a block of flats," he added.

Save Our Cinema Association chairman Bob Armstrong said the group was delighted to hear the children were doing something to highlight the cinema’s plight.

"This is going to help give the cinema a higher profile and help our cause," he said.

The news report is due to be broadcast on ITV Wales news next month.

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