SCHOOLGIRL Charlotte Dobson designed a birthday card fit for the Queen - and last week she travelled to London to make sure it arrived in time for the monarch's 80th birthday.

Eight-year-old Charlotte's jolly card was chosen to be presented to the Queen on behalf of the people of Basingstoke and Deane.

Her card was picked from more than 1,000 designs by children aged seven to 11 from schools across north Hampshire for a competition run by borough mayor Councillor Paula Baker.

Charlotte and her teacher Liz Hay travelled up to London with Cllr Baker last Wednesday to present the card to a footman at Buckingham Palace - and he promised to pass it on to the Queen in time for her birthday last Friday.

For her card, Charlotte, a pupil at Four Lanes Community Junior School, in Hanmore Road, Chineham, drew a picture of the Queen bouncing on a bouncy castle celebrating her birthday.

"I didn't want to make an ordinary card, I wanted to do something that was unusual and make a card that was happy and colourful," said Charlotte, of Longstock Close, Chineham.

Donna McGregor, art manager at Four Lanes school, organised the Queen's birthday card competition at the school, which all 332 pupils entered.

Ten cards were then selected by the school to be sent to the mayor's parlour for judging in the final - for which 1,100 entries were submitted.

Miss McGregor said: "We are thrilled and delighted that Charlotte won - it's really special and it's brilliant that one of the younger pupils won."

Cllr Baker said: "The ideas, imagination and talent we saw in the designs were superb. The standard of the entries was very high, but Charlotte's was such a clever idea - it made us all smile so I am sure it will make the Queen smile as well."

First published: Monday, April 24, 2006