A TALENTED Hartlebury schoolgirl has reached the final 50 in the prestigious BBC Radio 2 500-word story writing competition.

Eleanor Webber, aged eight, wrote The Crab and the Lantern Fish as part of an optional homework project and was “surprised and quite excited” to be picked out of tens of thousands of entries from five to 13-year-olds.

Her story about the two sea creatures, inspired by her love of the seaside, has been recorded and can be heard on the radio station’s website.

It will now go forward to be considered for one of six top prizes by a panel of judges, including presenter Chris Evans and Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall, which could win her piles of books and 500 books for her school library.

Proud mum Kirsten Webber said: “After she wrote the story, we didn’t think much more about it, so it was a big surprise to get through to the final.”

Caroline Unitt, executive headteacher of Hartlebury CE Primary School, added: “Since the competition was launched in 2011, more than 900,000 stories have been entered and Eleanor is our first finalist.

“We are all very proud of her wonderful achievement and wish her well for the final.”

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, it had been planned to hold a music and storytelling extravaganza for the final at Buckingham Palace on June 12, but a Radio 2 spokeswoman said details of where and when it will now be held will be announced in due course.

To read Eleanor’s story click here.