Senior students at a Gosport school are taking a lead in supporting friends who find themselves in trouble.

The students at Bridgemary Community School have piloted an initiative called the Peer Support Project (PSP) in the school.

The students, from years ten and 11, have volunteered to work towards achieving friendliness throughout the school, to challenge bullying and offer a listening ear to young people experiencing personal difficulties.

The PSP team has initiated the project with the personal and financial support of the Bridgeworks Trust and Barclays New Futures Fund.

They were able to decorate a warm and welcoming room at the school where they can meet classmates, suffering difficulties or problems, in confidence in a cosy, safe environment.

The PSP team includes Lauren Matthias, Laura Fairless, Michelle Muir, Samantha Mills, James Brown, Kayleigh Hiseman, Melanie Shelton, Jamie Doidge, Richard Fell and Phillip Scott.

Samantha said: "Our driving force is a desire to promote a culture of responsibility and to stand up for our peers."

The group stressed it was anxious to overcome the fear of silence and wanted their mates to talk about their problems.