Assistant editor Andrew Howard said: "We weren’t sure what to expect when we heard Channel 4 were doing a documentary on a pair of single mums in Exeter.

"But when the programme was aired, the two came across as level-headed, caring mums who found themselves in some pretty dire circumstances.

"They certainly didn’t fit the stereotype of young girls who’d got themselves pregnant to get a council flat – quite the opposite.

"Our series of weekly three-minute mini-movies will follow them as they progress through life.

"At the end of the TV documentary, Ala, (20), had just got a job, through our classified pages. She’s been working for four months now, and she tells how she’s coping with work, motherhood – and 30 bus journeys a week to get between home, the childminder, and the office.

"Abby now has a boyfriend but she too wants to work. She gets recognised in the street after doing the TV programme, but says she still sometimes gets dirty looks from people who seem to think she’s not fit to be a mum."

Abby, (21), said: "We want to show people what life is really like for us and what issues are important in the daily lives of a single parent. That’s why we did the documentary and why we’re looking forward to working with the Echo."

The first instalment can be seen today at thisisexeter.co.uk/pram.