AWARD-WINNING West Fife photographer Doug Allan has spoken about a moment he feared his brains could be "sucked out" by a walrus.

The Dunfermline-born cameraman was giving an interview to youngsters from St Joseph's Primary in Kelty, who were given a glimpse of Doug's life through a lens.

Probed about a range of aspects of his job, Doug recalled the moment he describes as the "hairiest" of his career.

"I was swimming in the water one day and suddenly this walrus came up and it grabbed me round my legs," he recalled. "It was just like somebody wrapped their arms around my legs.

"I looked down and I could see a walrus so I swung the camera around and I pushed it on the walrus' head. It was a bit surprised but I know it was a good job because I think the walrus had thought I was a seal that was asleep.

"A walrus kills a seal by sucking its brains out. You can imagine how lucky I felt that my brains didn't get sucked out."

Doug also shared with the pupils about his career starting out when he got to do some work when he was working as a diver in the Antarctic with a BBC crew which included Sir David Attenborough.

"He said we need to travel around the island and asked is there anyone who can help to get us to the best places and make sure we don't fall down any crevices," explained Doug.

"I said I can give you a hand for a couple of days so I volunteered to help. It was then I thought a cameraman would be a fantastic job, I would like to do that.

"I was diving one day and David Attenborough was on the jetty and I came out of the water and, according to David, I said, "David give me a job."

"Now I don't think it was like that but that is what he says and he gave me some good advice."

Doug also revealed to the children in the interview, which has been published in the school's newsletter, that his favourite animal was a polar bear.

"There's something exciting about a polar bear," he said. "You cannot hide from a polar bear – there's no trees to hide behind so if you can see a polar bear, then as sure as eggs are eggs, the polar bear can see you.

"Polar bears eat people every year and that makes it exciting but if you know how to behave round about a polar bear, and you have got the means of chasing them away, then you can work pretty close to them.

"You never know what they are going to do. They are really clever so you might think you know what this polar bear is going to do and then it will do something new and different. They are really exciting."

Doug told St Joseph's roving reporters that he planned to meet up for a cup of tea with Sir David Attenborough in the near future and promised to pass on a request asking for an interview.