The portrait shows George (right) with fellow chef Gerard O'Sullivan

A former Welling school pupil who achieved 25 A*-B grades at GCSE level has seen his portrait go up on the walls of the National Portrait Gallery as part of an exhibition focused on those working at the Olympics.

Aspiring chef George Whitelock, 18, of Coton Road, beat around 6,500 entrants in a competition to design a special dish for the athletes and is working at the Games site for the next two months.

His portrait is part of a collection focused on those people keeping the Olympic Games ticking through their hard work behind the scenes this summer.

George said: “Some of my family have gone to see it, and the remaining members will be visiting it throughout the summer.

“They are all very proud of me and can’t believe I was picked out of all the people working at the Olympics.”

Having broken Falconwood Harris Academy’s record haul for GCSE grades in 2010, George went on to Westminster Kingsway College to study catering and is currently working under celebrity chef Gary Rhodes.

His portrait will be on display until September 23.