SUNDERLAND has its own little corner of Hell thanks to students at the university, whose devilish designs feature in ITV's Hell's Kitchen.

Ten second-year students studying BA (Hons) Glass created the table lights, which are ensuring diners can see what they are eating on the popular reality show when, or rather, if their meals arrive.

Just like the ten contestants on the popular show, the Sunderland glass students faced long hours in extreme heat to create their works of art. The students had their own experts at hand - the Gary Rhodes and Jean-Christophe Novelli of glass - in university hot glass artists Colin Rennie and Jim Maskrey, who made sure the students cooked up something extra-special.

Mr Rennie said: "Hell's Kitchen's producers had heard about the work we were doing at the university and asked us to design and produce some table lamps for the show.

"It was a great challenge for the students producing such a high number of pieces of work, but they really did rise to the challenge and showed great professionalism and teamwork."

After Hell's Kitchen has finished, the chefs and presenter Angus Deaton will sign their autographs on the table lights, which the students will permanently fire on to the glass.

They will then auction them to raise money for their final year degree show in 2006.