A TALENTED young girl's dream to become a dancer has been shattered, despite beating hundreds of others to win a place at a top ballet school.

Sian Gourlay, 11, from Studley, has already been accepted by Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham but, because of expensive term fees, her parents cannot afford to send her.

The school, where Sian hopes to go to in September, charges £6,400 a term and £19,200 for the full year.

Mum Maggie, said: "It was Sian who wanted to go for the audition, dancing is her life.

"When she got in we were absolutely over the moon.

"What we're hoping for now is to find a local business to sponsor her so she can go to Elmhurst and then to the Royal Ballet.

"There is no way we can afford to pay the term fees and it would be awful for her to get this far and not go."

Sian, who was told about the audition by her school, St Mary's Catholic School in Studley, started doing ballet at Redditch's Latham School of Dance before going to Elmhurst on Saturday mornings.

Caroline Richardson, PE co-ordinator at St Mary's Catholic School, said: "She is a wonderful girl and very talented, she really deserves to be able to go.

"The whole thing is like a Billy Elliot story, it's her dream to go to a place like that."

Anyone would like to help Sian by donating money can call 857058.