LITTLE Charlotte Nott, the three-year-old who had to have parts of all four limbs removed, is learning to walk once again.

The brave tot, who contracted meningitis, is standing proud with a new pair of legs and is thrilled she’s now taller than brother George – just like a big sister should be.

Dad Alex Nott, 29, said: “She is very happy about that – she lets George know it as well. When she put her legs on for the first time she was taller than him and that has meant she really wants to put them on now.”

But Charlotte, from Brasenose Driftway, in Cowley, can only put her NHS prosthetic limbs on for 20 minutes following the devastating surgery she underwent after contracting meningitis in December.

Her mother, Jenny Daniels, 29, said: “When she is tired it is a bit difficult to persuade her to put them on, but generally she’s enthusiastic and determined.

“It is quite hard emotionally for us to see her learning to walk all over again, and I think it must be for her too because somewhere in her memory she will remember learning in the first place.”

A special ‘sock’ is attached to the ends of Charlotte’s legs with an attachment which the quick-release prosthetics fit on to.

At the moment, she wears them two or three times a day for about 20 minutes at a time.

Mr Nott said: “She can stand on her own on them and she can take a couple of steps, then you have to grab hold of her. I reckon by Christmas she will be striding about.”

He added: “At the moment, it’s basically like having a newborn again, but one who is talking back to you.

“She is so young that sometimes I don’t think she gets the psychological aspect of what happened to her.

“It’s a bit of a novelty at the moment, but when the novelty wears off things may become more difficult.”

Charlotte recently returned to Horspath Nursery after staff, families and wellwishers helped raise money for specialist play equipment.

Mr Nott said Charlotte had already retaught herself how to crawl and play with her toys, and learned how to draw with her mouth.

Because Charlotte is so young, her new legs will only last for about nine months and will then need to be replaced about once a year as she grows.

Her parents are hoping to buy carbon fibreglass limbs privately for Charlotte, but a full set of legs and hands will cost about £40,000.

Tragedy struck for the family as they were about to go on holiday last December.

Jenny noticed three purple marks on Charlotte’s chest and called 999.

She was diagnosed with meningococcal septicaemia, and had to undergo amputation to save her life.