FANS of cult classic Star Trek are in for a real ball next year, as Captain Kirk himself is set to beam into Bournemouth.

William Shatner, who starred as James T Kirk in the original TV series, will be the guest of honour at the annual SF Ball to be held in February.

Run by fans based in Wimborne, the convention is now in its 12th year and regularly attracts top actors from the world of sci-fi TV and film.

Previous years have seen both Patrick Stewart, who plays Next Generation Captain Jean-Luc "Make it so!" Picard, and George Takei, who played Lieutenant Sulu in the original Star Trek series, hold court with their fans.

Canadian-born William Shatner, now 74, took the helm of the USS Enterprise in the first series of Star Trek which aired from 1966 to 1969, as well as later starring in seven of the big screen outings.

The show spawned a host of follow-ups, but for many, James "Beam me up Scotty" Kirk is still THE captain.

Even the mystery of his middle initial has prompted many a pub quiz question (it stands for Tiberius).

After Star Trek, Mr Shatner branched out into other TV series, notably T. J. Hooker and more recently the Emmy award-winning Boston Legal, and also became a best-selling author with both fiction and non-fiction books.

Other Star Trek actors appearing at the convention this year will include Arlene Martel, who starred as Dr Spock's intended Vulcan love interest, T'Pring, in the classic early episode Amok Time.

The 12th SF Ball will take place at the Carrington House Hotel in Bournemouth from February 10-12. For more details, call 07092 812101 or go to www.sfball.com.

SHATNER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

The Brothers Karamazov (film, 1958)

Star Trek (series, 1966-69)

T.J Hooker (series, 1982-86)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) and six sequels (1982-97)

Miss Congeniality (film, 2000)

Boston Legal (series, 2004... ) - Emmy award winner as outstanding supporting actor

Adverts for Bran Flakes on British TV

First published: October 3