Students from Glasgow Caledonian University's BA Journalism course scooped the professionals to win prizes for newsgathering at a major exercise centred on the Navy base at Faslane.

They were part of a 40-strong simulated press corps which included professionals from the BBC, ITN and Sky, covering a simulated incident at HM Naval Base Clyde.

Exercise 'Short Sermon', the biggest to be held at the base for three years, was attended by key figures from public agencies including Strathclyde Police and Fire Brigade, health boards, the Health Protection Agency and the Scottish Executive.

As well as writing wire reports, carrying out interviews and attending press conferences, students Gordon Bell, Stuart Miller, Roisin McGroarty and Paul Thomson were also given a tour of a submarine.

Gordon and Stuart won two of the seven prizes available for newsgathering on the day.

Afterwards all the students were praised as 'excellent' by Scott Hamilton of exercise media organisers Escott Hunt. He said: "They were inquisitive, persistent and intelligent, and very adaptable."