A SCHOOLGIRL from Hitchin who won a national fiction writing competition has been to meet David Cameron at 10 Downing Street.

Isabel Lawther, 11, of Brampton Park Road, was the winner of the Take a Break magazine competition in the age 8-11 category, beating more than 3500 other hopefuls to the prize.

Her reward was an overnight trip to London and afternoon tea with bestselling author Anthony Horowitz and prime minister David Cameron at Downing Street.

“It’s a fantastic achievement,” said the prime minister of Isabel’s success.

“It takes a lot to risk writing your own story and sending it to a magazine.”

Isabel used her idea for the story from a creative writing project she wrote at her old school, Ickleford Primary.

She rewrote the fairytale Little Red Riding Hood, turning the traditionally bad wolf into the good guy.

Entitled ‘Cherry’s Fairytales’, The Priory School pupil’s tale impressed the panel who said they loved the “sparky dialogue” of the story.

On top of her trip to London, she also won an Apple MacBook and �1000 worth of books, which were split between her primary and secondary schools.

“London was brilliant, and I got to talk to Anthony Horowitz, who said that he really liked my story,” said Isabel, who wants to be a writer or an actress when she’s older.

“I’ve never won anything like this before, so it was great when I got the phone call to tell me I’d won.

“My friends are really pleased for me.”

Isabel’s parents Andrew and Sarah accompanied her to London. Mum Sarah, who saw the competition in her magazine, said:

“We’re so proud of her. At the end of the day it was a bit surreal, because you don’t expect to be visiting Downing Street.

“Nothing like that has happened to us before.”

Isabel’s story will feature in the December issue of Take a Break’s Fiction Feast on Thursday, November 4.