THE region may be about to produce another Billy Elliot.

Just as Bafta award winning Billingham teenager Jamie Bell danced his way to stardom in the box office hit about the 15-year-old boy obsessed with becoming a ballet star, another 15-year-old from Teesside, Neil Hainsworth, is winning plaudits.

Neil, a pupil of Hall Garth School, Middlesbrough, has been offered a place with the Northern Youth Dance Company, which is made up of only 12 highly talented young dancers.

He caught the eye of Pete Huggins of the National Youth Dance Company during rehearsals for a production at the Middlesbrough Theatre.

His dance tutor at Hall Garth, Nicola Merriman, said: "I'm really proud of Neil's success, he has been dancing since he was 12 years old and has shown great commitment as well as exceptional talent.''