HIDDEN down a peaceful and leafy Weymouth street is a gang of schoolboys whose minds are on beer, brawling and women.

It's not what you'd expect from a school choir whose members have an average age of 11.

But the boys at Thornlow Preparatory School in Connaught Road, have ditched their hymn sheets to form a sea shanty choir - the Lobster Pot Rebels.

It could well be the only one of its kind in Britain.

Headteacher Rupert Fowke said: "They are rebels by name and rebels by nature. I told them we were going to set up a traditional choir, but they didn't seem too keen about it.

"So I said Right, we'll have some extra maths' which went down like a lead balloon. So somewhere along the line we started up a sea shanty choir - and it really took off."

The Lobster Pot Rebels is made up of 30 hearty singers - and the boys outnumber the girls three to one.

Mr Fowke said: "They love singing about beer, brawling and women. It has become very popular. Obviously we have to take all the expletives out."

The children have even recorded their own CD with 13 tracks, including the old favourite Drunken Sailor.

Sea shanty groups are thin on the ground. In Britain there are only four adult groups who are members of the International Shanty and Sea Song Association. One is a Welsh group, Baggyrinkle, whose band manager, Terri Kennedy said: "I think it's wonderful. It must be the only children's sea shanty choir in Britain.

"The only other children's choir I can think of is Les Pirates in France.

"We do teach children's choirs at festivals, but to have one that is permanent is fantastic news.

"Children love singing shanty songs. They particularly like the occasional rude line, and shout it at the top of their voice.

"Shanties seem to be dying out because shanty festivals tend to be run by councils.

"The music doesn't appear to draw in the crowds so they choose to have a popular music festival instead.

"It's a shame, because shanty music is part of our history. We're a nation of seamen."

Mrs Kennedy added that the songs were popular with sailors partially because they allowed them to let off steam by insulting their superiors.

By the wonders of modern technology Echo readers can now hear the choir's version of Drunken Sailor at www.dorsetecho.co.uk