STUDENTS from Greenock stepped in to save this year's West College Scotland graduation by helping to pull together a virtual ceremony.

Together with the further education institution's media staff, a team worked behind the scenes to ensure everything went without a hitch.

Despite Covid-19, college bosses did not want the year to go by without any recognition of their students and all their achievements.

Alongside the Greenock campus technicians, students made sure the online occasion was a night to remember for all those graduating.

Technician Dave Donaldson said: "We couldn't have done it without the students.

"They spent hours in production, working on to complete the animation.

"It is so important to get it all right for the students' big moments."

It was a huge behind the scenes operation to put together a polished virtual ceremony to remember, as management and lecturers handed out the 2019-20 awards.

The media department in Greenock, which has produced many live events and film productions, helped hundreds of people celebrate their graduation.

HND television students Hamish Thomlinson, Glenn Hopkins, Kiefer Kennan and Iain Sweeney rose to the challenge.

Kiefer said: "It was brilliant to get hands-on experience.

"It is such a great course."

Head of marketing Fiona McLaren, who organises the graduation ceremony every year, admits that this year's celebration would have been impossible without the input from the students.

She said: "I can't thank our technician Dave and the students enough.

"We would have done it without them.

"We spent hours in the studio, with sessions for all the lecturers.

"It was so important to mark students' achievements, the graduation really is the most important event of the year for us all."