BUDDING young journalist Luke Knowles is definitely going to be a success if commitment is anything to go by.

For the 11-year-old is so keen to attend Newspaper in Education lessons run by the Bolton Evening News that he travels here every week ... from Staffordshire.

Luke enrolled on the course at our Churchgate offices last year. He is part of a group of youngsters who learn about reporting and put together a newspaper for children..

But when his dad, Andrew, got a new job with Staffordshire County Council in November it meant that he - along with his mum, Carol, and his sisters, April, 10, and Georgina, eight - had to leave their Breightmet home and move South. However, because Luke loves the course so much he begged his mum and dad to let him come back and now they make the 200 mile round trip every other Saturday just so Luke can attend.

The keen youngster said: "The course is brilliant and I really enjoy it. My mum and dad don't mind driving me all the way back because my gran still lives in Bolton and they go and visit her while I'm at the Evening News."

Luke, who used to be a pupil at Blackshaw primary school, says he misses Bolton but Staffordshire is nice because it's "very green" and there's plenty of fields to play in. One thing he does miss is being near his favourite football team - not Bolton but Manchester United.

However, Luke has found another soccer club to support, though they're not quite as glamourous.

He added: "I've been to see Stafford Rangers play a few time and it's quite good. Not half as good as United though."