Norwich's pioneering SOS Bus is being lined up as the star of a possible new fly-on-the-wall television documentary.

Crew from a production company were on board the life-saving bus over the weekend to make a short pilot film, with a view to making a real-life documentary.

The crew followed the work of the SOS Bus volunteers, and are hoping to use test footage to pitch the idea to Channel 4 for a series.

The project is desperately seeking some new volunteers and hopes the show could help to raise its profile.

Sarah Mintey, principal of the Open Youth Trust, said: 'If successful it could lead to a whole series of a fly-on-the-wall style documentary.

'The idea is to use Norwich SOS, because it was the first project, as the central focus, with also some filming at some of the other SOS buses in cities around the country.

'This is a good opportunity to get some exposure so we can try and get some more volunteers for the project.'

The SOS Bus is based outside the Natwest Bank in Prince of Wales Road every Friday and Saturday night as a safe haven for drunk and vulnerable youngsters.

The initiative has helped more than 4,000 people since it was set up as a haven for drunk, distressed or vulnerable people in the city following the deaths of two young men who drowned after nights out in the city.

The SOS Bus has had a brush with television fame several times before. In 2006 the life-saving project was featured on a special edition of the Tonight programme and in 2008 one of the project's old bendy buses was raced and crashed, banged and smashed around a racetrack on the popular Top Gear programme.

Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Jenny Smith on 01603 763111.

Do you have a story for the Evening News? Contact reporter Kim Briscoe on 01603 772419 or email kim.briscoe@archant.co.uk.