THE former Warrington Collegiate student who won a prestigious television award for her documentary on piercing and tattooing is looking forward to the London finals in March.

Debbie Armstrong, who won the Royal TV Society (RTS) Student Award for the North West in the factual category, has secured a job at Granada as a production assistant.

Her 21-minute film, entitled Screwed and Tattooed, featured some of the most tattooed and body-pierced people in the world, with Debbie starting her project at a national tattoo convention in South Wales.

She met numerous characters including mild mannered grandad and retired bank manager John Lynch.

He only started having his body pierced at the age of 66 and at 68 already boasts several hundred piercings.

The film includes actual footage of body parts being pierced and Debbie had to overcome her squeamishness in during production.

She said: "I felt a bit faint the first time I saw someone being pierced. I've met some really interesting characters who were quite willing to talk to me about their body decorations although I don't think that I'd go for a tattoo myself it's a bit too permanent."

Debbie is now looking forward to the national finals of the television awards to be held at the Savoy hotel.