Young Bethany Peacock-Wood is the latest in a production line of budding young stars from an Idle arts school to appear in the BBC's hospital drama, Casualty.

Bethany has become the seventh pupil from the Stage 84 School of Performing Arts in Idle to land a part in the hit TV series.

Aged only six, Bethany will play a character called Mel in an episode of the hospital drama called The Hardest Word to be screened on February 20.

She joins a list of seven Stage 84 child actors to feature in the show in under a year.

It started last January with ten-year-old Laura Whittaker, of Thornton, who played a little girl called Jodie whose grandma was run over by a car. And it hasn't stopped since.

Valerie Jackson, who has run Stage 84 for 15 years with her husband, Peter, said: "I think the secret to our success is hard work combined with fun and determination by both the teachers and students at our school."

Bethany's dad Michael Wood, 38, said Bethany started at Stage 84 at the tender age of four.

He said: "Casualty's her biggest part so far but she was in a commercial for a brand of flour where a cake was put in front of her and she had to look sad.

"She's just got back from the nine days shooting down at BBC Bristol where Casualty's filmed. Her mum Carole went down with her and me and her older sister went down at the weekends.

"In the episode she plays a girl called Mel.

"She's discovers her dead grandma when she and her parents go round to visit."

The youngster, who lives in Eccleshill, is following the footpath to fame in her big sister Jemma's footsteps as she has starred in an episode of ITV's Cracker with Robbie Coltraine.

And Mrs Jackson has no doubts there will be more Stage 84 students hitting the big time.

She said: "I really do think there is a wealth of talent in our area, I've always thought there was."

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