ELEVEN-year-old Kirsty Ryan will be the belle of the ball when she appears on the Oxford Mail float as Cinderella.

Kirsty, of Brambling Way, Blackbird Leys, was chosen ahead of a clutch of hopefuls to be the panto queen for the day, riding on the float at the Lord Mayor's Show next Monday.

Last week we joined forces with the Oxford Playhouse to ask for your nominations for youngsters to spend the day as Cinderella and Prince Charming, and Kirsty was entered in the competition by her mum, Carol Campbell, 41.

Five years ago Kirsty, a pupil at Wesley Green Middle School, Wesley Close, was left scarred for life when a school friend's Collie dog suddenly attacked her during a picnic. She suffered appalling injuries to her face and ears, and had to undergo hours of plastic surgery. Stitches were put in her ear, her nose and her mouth, after the dog's attack pulled her gums away from the inside of her lips.

Carol said: "Kirsty really deserves to be Cinderella because she went through such a lot. She's had hours of surgery and counselling but she's always laughing.

"She is over the moon about it and she'll absolutely love it." Joining Kirsty on the float will be Prince Charming Daniel Begley, also 11, of Cornwallis Road, Cowley, who was nominated by his mum Tina, 38.

She said: "I think he deserves it because he's just so nice and thoughtful. He is the kind of prince that would look for somebody who lost something so that he could return it to them. He's going to love being on the float."

As well as the honour of being stars for the day, the youngsters get family tickets for the pantomime Cinderella, at the Playhouse at Christmas, and an Oxford Mail £100 goody-bag.

The Lord Mayor's Parade leaves Woodstock Road at 11am and arrives at South Parks at noon for a gala, featuring lots of stalls and the Oxford Mail bouncy castle.

Bank holiday Monday also sees the re-opening of the Mail's New Inn Hall Street office in, taking us back to the heart of the city.

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