By Harry McLaggan

SCHOOLCHILDREN learning to ski had an unexpected bonus on the slopes at Nevis Range near Fort William yesterday when they found pop star Justin Timberlake snowboarding on the mountain.

The star had a full day’s boarding at the centre in the shadow of Ben Nevis. He had two male companions with him and one female companion—but that was not film star girl friend Cameron Diaz.

A spokeswoman at Nevis Range said, “He arrived around 9.30 am and had a full day’s snowboarding. They found some fresh snow and had a good day of it.”

The star also made the day for the schoolchildren on the slopes.

The spokeswoman said, “There were around 60 school pupils up for lessons and seeing Justin made their day.

“He spoke to a number of them and also signed some autographs.”

The visit was not planned and the spokeswoman said, “As a paying customer we respected his privacy.”