A GROUP of people who work on the Menai Strait are to be the stars of an upcoming network series on ITV.

Starting tomorrow (Friday, September 14) at 8pm, the four part 'The Island Strait' series tells the stories of the characters who earn their livelihoods on and around what’s described as ‘the most incredible saltwater river in Britain.’

Frankie Hobro from the Anglesea Sea Zoo is one of the stars of the show. She and the others first appeared in an ITV Wales series earlier this year.

Now she is hoping that the re-telling of their stories with updates for a UK-wide audience will provide a better understanding of the unique marine environment of The Strait.

"What I love about it is the way that it’s put together," Frankie said.

"It’s not a documentary. It’s not a soap drama. It’s a mix of both.

"I was amazed by the number of people who came up to me and asked about the things that we see when we dive."

John Jones, a mussel boatman based at Porth Penrhyn near Bangor is another star of the show.

Born and bred in Bangor, over 20 years ago he borrowed a few lobster pots and has been working the waters of The Strait ever since.

"People see us from the waterside and think that we are taking all the fish," he said.

"The programme has shown that it is a much more sustainable process than that.

"It has highlighted the work that we are doing and the sustainability and the wildlife of the Menai Strait too."

Glyn Davies is a multi award-winning landscape photographer who has published five books and runs his own photo gallery at Menai Bridge. He’s looking forward to seeing the network version of the series.

"It has ticked the right boxes with real people and real interests that genuinely connect to the themes of the programme.

"People have come up to me and said ‘your passion for the landscape comes across. It’s had a very positive influence."

Others set to feature on the show are:

Stan Zalot - a Beaumaris boatman who runs pleasure trips to Puffin Island. Stan is a local legend in the Beaumaris area and the HQ to business empire is Gallows Point, where his beloved shed is the hub of the boat yard.

Emrys Jones - Runs a cruise boat at Caernarfon Quay. His striking old ferry boat "The Queen of the Sea" heads west to Abermenai and the mouth of the Menai Strait. He's the sixth generation of pilot who knows the waters like the back of his hand.

Ali Yates and Jamie Johnson - Plas Menai instructors will introduce the National Outdoor Centre's many adventurous activities.

Dr Michael Roberts - Research fellow at the internationally renowned School of Ocean Sciences at Bangor University. He’s an Anglesey man and a marine geologist with a passion for this unique coastal environment.