TORBAY's own beer is to make a TV appearance after being chosen as a prop in a major new ITV series.

Bays Gold will be seen by thousands of viewers being guzzled by students in the much-hyped new ITV2 series Trinity.

The product placement on national television was organised by lead actress Antonia Bernath, who plays student Charlotte Arc and in real-life is the girlfriend of Bays Brewery director Pete Salmon.

The new series is an eight-part drama set in an Oxbridge-like university.

Antonia, who also works as a teaching assistant in St Margaret's Primary School, in Torquay, said: "Production companies get sent a lot of stuff from companies trying to place their products on films.

"I kept telling the crew and other actors about Bays beer and they really wanted to try it.

"Pete sent a few beers so everyone on set could have a taster. They really loved it."

Antonia, who met Pete while they both lived in London, but now lives with him in Paignton, said she spoke with Trinity producers who gave the thumbs up and Pete sent 10 cases of the Paignton-born ale to the London set.

Antonia said: "Bays was everywhere on the set. It was almost a game we had to see how many bottles of Bays Gold we could spot."

The actress, who was one of the school girls in the St Trinian's film, says the beer appeared especially prominently in episodes four and five.

Trinity is a brand new drama set in the gothic, oak panelled halls of residence and lecture theatres of the fictional Bridgeford University, Trinity College.

In the storyline Charlotte Arc (Antonia) is due to go to University to study medicine, and her father is found dead in mysterious circumstances. Boyfriend Pete, who saw the whole show before it airs on TV, said: "It's brilliant to have our product broadcast to a national audience.

"I wish we had thought about it earlier in the shoot so the beer would have featured in more episodes.

"It's pretty cool to have our beer on the show. It was a great opportunity but unless they do season two, I'm not sure we'll be able to do that again."

Trinity was first aired on Sunday at 10pm and will be broadcast every Sunday for the next seven weeks.

Pete and the other Bays directors, his brother and brother-in-law, will be travelling to Sainsbury's London headquarters this week to find out if Bays Breaker has won a permanent contract with the supermarket giant. The ale was one of 14 being trialled by Sainsbury's.

The Paignton brewery has also been celebrating after its Bays Best was voted runner up in the South Devon Camra beer competition.

The only Devon beer to make it to the final was one of 100 ales from around the country to compete in the event with only a Scottish ale pipping it to the top spot.