IT was a little girl's special day that could easily have started with tears.

Young Leah Harcourt, who turns two today, has had to face her birthday without the one big present she had wished for.

The tot's mum Gemma Brett had splashed out almost £100 on an electronic Boogie Car after Leah spent six months pestering for her own set of wheels.

But weeks after she ordered the play car, which costs almost £100 in the Great Universal catalogue, it had still not arrived.

Upset Gemma, 21, of Willow Green, Colden Common, told the Daily Echo how the company had promised her on numerous occasions that the special delivery would arrive in time for Leah's big day.

But on Monday staff told her it would be impossible for the car to be delivered until Friday.

Gemma said: "They kept telling me that it would just be a few more days but when I phoned again two days before her birthday Great Universal said it would not be delivered until Friday and there was nothing they could do about it.

"I felt so sorry for my little girl and I didn't want her to miss out. She loves the car and never wants to get off it when she has a go on her friend's, who got one at Christmas."

Bitterly disappointed, Gemma told the company not to bother sending the car - she had had enough.

But determined not to leave Leah disappointed, the Daily Echo dropped round to see the youngster and delivered a sack load of presents to make her day.

"It's absolutely brilliant and they have definitely made her day special," said Gemma.

"This is so much better than her not getting anything - she loves it."

A spokesman for Great Universal was unavailable for comment.