PLANET Ice's new ice skating initiative Skating Stars has been launched with the the initial 15 skaters now having been picked.

The idea of the initiative which was inspired by Torvill and Dean's TV Show Ice Rink on Ice is to pick complete beginners and teach them to skate.

The beginner skaters are all aged between eight and 14 and the over the next few weeks they will be coached and the initial 15 will be reduced to 10 and then five who will skate in a special gala.

The 15 new skaters who are all from the Basingstoke area are as follows Madison Noakes (8), Liam Fry (8), Morgan House (8), Louie Gammon (9), Milly Alexander-Stiff (9), Scott Mcdonagh (9), Tamzin House (9), Archie Price (10), Scott Benwell (10), Chelsea Watts (11), Abigail Noakes (11), Jade Ratcliffe (11), Jacob Ray (12), Holly Mcdonagh (14) and Pip Lovelock (14).

Rink manager Anita Curtis said: "We have been overwhelmed with the response to the Skating Stars initiative with lots of applications. We had lots of people wanted to take part, but unfortunately we could only pick15."

These will now been given the free skating, free Learn to Skate sessions and also access to the Skate Excellence coaches.