GLASGOW'S star gymnasts of the future will get a taste of the limelight next week at one of the city's top sporting events.

A dozen primary schoolgirls have been chosen as helpers for Team GB at the Glasgow Gymnastics Grand Prix in the Kelvin Hall.

The youngsters, who are all aged between five and nine, are members of the City of Glasgow Artistic Women's Development Squad.

They will march the team in to the arena to mark the beginning of the competition, which takes place this Friday and Saturday.

This year's British line-up is the strongest ever, with five 2008 Olympians competing, including Scots Daniel Keatings, the 2008 European Junior Champion who recently won the first European senior all-around medal for Great Britain, and Daniel Purvis, the 2008 European Junior Team Champion.

Other gymnasts appearing at the Grand Prix include current British champion Becky Downie and 2008 Olympic bronze medallist Louis Smith.

Shona Regan, a coach with the City of Glasgow squad, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for Glasgow's potential gymnastic stars of the future to experience a big sporting competition."

The young gymnasts are Emma McGuire, Cara McDickon, Mia Mallison, Morgan Spiers, Megan Morrison, Leigha Christie, Megan McDonald, Molly Fitzpatrick, Beth Hannay, Charlotte Moore, Morgan Queen and Olivia Glass, all from schools across Glasgow.

Emma McGuire said: "We're looking forward to it and we have lots of questions for the gymnasts."

Her friend and team-mate Megan Morrison agreed. "It's really exciting for us to get to go to the Grand Prix."

Tickets are on sale now for the Glasgow Gymnastics Grand Prix. They are free for the qualifying day on the Friday, from 1pm, and cost from £3.50 for the finals day which starts at 1.30pm on the Saturday.