COMPLAINING that they were hungry may have stopped West Fife secondary pupils being caught up in the recent Stockholm terror attack.

The group of eight sports volunteers were part of a 22-strong contingent that travelled to the Swedish capital at the beginning of the Easter holidays to take on the opportunity to coach abroad through their work with the Fife Active Schools' ambassador programme.

Less than a week into the venture that saw them coach sports including rugby, basketball, gymnastics and swimming, they had a lucky escape when the city was hit by terror on April 7.

Four people were killed and at least a dozen were left injured, some seriously, when a lorry was driven into pedestrians before smashing into a store in one of the city's main pedestrian streets at around 3pm local time.

Woodmill pupils Nicole Currie and Kirsty Pearson, St Columba's youngsters Daniel McGuinness, Ciara Bowman and Joe Chalmers, Dunfermline High's Greg Thompson and Matt Nicoll, and Queen Anne's Megan Mitchell were in Stockholm at the time.

And, in the immediate aftermath of the incident, Nicole wrote on Twitter: "The atmosphere around Stockholm is horrible right now. We would have been at that spot but we kept complaining so we stopped for food. Feeling so lucky."

Accompanied by Active Schools co-ordinators Louise White, Callum Imray and Graeme Duncan, they were based at the world-renowned Bosön facility – home to national sport in Sweden – to participate in coaching placements at sports clubs throughout the Stockholm area.

The group were able to continue with their trip over the Easter holidays and had the opportunity to learn Swedish and take part in cultural activities.

It was the second year that the programme has been run and the 22 volunteers were selected following a gruelling interview process and numerous training evenings, and for their ongoing commitment to volunteering and coaching.

A nationwide initiative supported by sportscotland, the ambassadors programme is designed to develop young leaders who can inspire and motivate others to take part in sport and physical activity.