A COURAGEOUS five-year-old from Otley will today find out whether she has been named Yorkshire Youngster of the Year.

Danielle Skilbeck, who last year had both legs amputated from the knees down because of meningitis, will be rubbing shoulders with actresses and racing drivers at the annual Yorkshire Young Achievers Awards in Leeds.

Danielle, who lives with her mum, her mum's fiance and two younger sisters in Weston Park View, contracted meningitis and then septicaemia in July, last year.

But despite losing the lower parts of both legs and her hands, she has carried on her life, has learned how to walk with prosthetic limbs and goes to Ashfield Primary School full time, amazing all her know her.

Mum Lindsay Pollard said: "Friends and family and people around Danielle know she doesn't need an award to validate all she has been through.

"But it is nice that when she has been through so much it is being recognised."

The Yorkshire Young Achievers Awards will be announced today at a dinner at Leeds United Football Club.

The event is set to be hosted by Christine Talbot and Duncan Wood from television's Calendar News and will be attended by stars from the cast of television's Yorkshire soap, Emmerdale.

Lindsay has not told Danielle about the nomination in case she doesn't receive the award.

Lindsay said: "I have told her we are going somewhere special but I haven't told her the reason why.

"I really do hope she gets the award but I don't want to get her hopes up and then for her to ask 'don't other people think I have done well?'"

Other short-listed nominees for the awards include actress Emma Atkins, who plays Emmerdale's Charity Tate and Formula One racing driver Justin Wilson.

But Lindsay already has reason to celebrate with Danielle's continuing progress.

Lindsay said: "Danielle is doing fantastically well. She is at school full time and is practising walking all the time. I can't believe how well she is doing."

Danielle who has two sisters, Tia, three and seven month old Jamie-Lee, spent four months in hospital in Leeds recovering from meningitis last year.