WHO would believe it? Glasgow is experiencing a shortage of "neds".

It may seem like a film role tailor-made for countless young Glaswegians but award-winning actor and director Peter Mullan is struggling to find an actor to play the central character to his latest film, Neds.

Due to be filmed this summer during the school holidays, the film tells the tale of a teenage boy, growing up in Glasgow in the mid-Seventies, who becomes embroiled in gang culture.

And it's set to propel a Glasgow ned into the limelight.

While it may, at times, seem as though the city is awash with potential candidates, finding the right boy to portray a teenage delinquent, is proving surprisingly difficult says the film's casting director, Lenny Mullan.

He said: "I've met with hundreds of boys. It's a demanding role as the character is in 138 scenes, which is nearly every scene in the film.

"He starts off as a very clever young boy but school and family life deteriorate to conspire to change him.

"He then turns into a psycopathic ned."

The role calls for no previous acting experience, but will require a very special young actor to pull it off, says Lenny, who is Peter's older brother.

"If they can understand the story and portray fear and aggression in a believable manner, we can get them screen-ready."

In an attempt to fill the role, which could launch a film career for the chosen actor, open auditions are being held in Glasgow next Tuesday and Wednesday, April 7 and 8. Lenny says the ideal candidate would be a young-looking, 16-year-old boy.

The auditions are being held at Revolution Talent Management, 93 Hope Street between 11am and 4pm.

The film is written and will be directed by Peter Mullan, whose previous films Orphans and the Magdalene Sisters were huge critical successes.

Later this year the Glasgow-based actor will be seen in Connolly, where he plays the title role of Irish socialist leader James Connolly. Could you be a ned? For more information contact Lenny Mullan at lennymullan@ btinternet.com Filling role has proved tough surprisingly Peter Mullan has written and will direct the new film GLASGOW has a colourful history of neds and the lack of potential actors for the film role is surprising.

From the celebrated neds in sketch comedy Chewin' the Fat and River City's Shellsuit Boab, to stand-up comedy character The Wee Man, comedians have often lampooned the stereotypical gallus Glasgow nyaffs.

The origin of the term "ned" is hotly contested. While some believe it's an acronym for Non-Educated Delinquent, others point to the old Glasgow term for a teddy boy.

The Collins New English Dictionary describes ned as "noun, Scot. slang, a hooligan, origin unknown" and one of its first uses is thought to be in Glasgow writer George Friel's 1964 novel, The Boy Who Wanted Peace, which features the phrase "a right Glasgow ned''.