A talented Buttershaw High School pupil is following in the footsteps of her famous aunt.

At 15, Chantelle Dunbar, pictured, is already directing fellow students on stage and has penned two gritty dramas, inspired by her aunt Andrea Dunbar of Rita, Sue and Bob Too fame.

Although she was only two years old when the Buttershaw playwright died in 1990, Chantelle said she still plagues her mum with questions about Auntie Andrea and is in no doubt about the source of her motivation.

"I've watched all her plays," said Chantelle. "When Auntie Andrea wrote, it was about her life. I like to write about real life which is personal and touching.

"My ambition is to write for soaps like Emmerdale or Coronation Street to get my name known and after that to write for theatres, even plays at upper and primary schools.

"Auntie Andrea did inspire me into doing drama and performing arts - maybe there is something in the family."

Chantelle's first play, entitled Together to the End, examines attitudes towards homelessness.

Winning a year nine competition, the budding scriptwriter has now cast the play with fellow pupils and is directing a video of the piece.

"It's about a rich, uptown girl who's really brainy and bright, who falls in love with a homeless boy," she said. "We don't find out why he's become homeless - that's to keep people in suspense.

"I think other students will learn how serious homelessness is so that if they ever come across homeless people, they can help them. It's quite a serious drama."

Bursting with pride, her mum Denise said three of her four children had been interested in the theatre from an early age.

She said: "Chantelle did this all off her own back. With her brothers Karl and Richard, she has been in most school productions and she just took it from there."

Chantelle has already sent scripts to Granada TV bosses, who have promised to look out for any opportunities for her.

And Buttershaw High School drama teacher Sue Andryszewski adds that she has a bright future ahead.

"For year nine, the script was good and she put a lot of work into it" she said. "Now we can put it on video, it may be the start of our own little soap opera.

"She's brimming with enthusiasm, a good drama student and very keen."