A woman who beat leukaemia as a teenager, played piano for Princess Diana and made a disc with Lesley Garrett has been nominated for a national business award.

Amanda Thompson, 20, is competing for the Chemical Industries Association Young Person of the Year Award. Amanda, of Prune Park, Bradford, also features in the recently published autobiography of Esther Rantzen.

She is employed by Low Moor firm Ciba Speciality Chemicals, where she is being sponsored on a Huddersfield University degree course in chemistry.

She has been nominated by her company for the award and has already undergone an interview for the north east region finals.

There were 20 applicants - a record number - and if she gets through to the national final in London, held between June 6 and 8, she could become the national winner.

"I'm very flattered and pleased to be nominated. I've now just to wait and see how I've done," said Amanda, who was struck down with leukaemia as a 12-year-old.

She was a student at Manchester-based Cheethams music college at the time and her plight touched the nation when she appeared on Esther Rantzen's Hearts of Gold programme. She went on to make a record of Ave Maria with opera singer Lesley Garrett and to record Air on a G String with actor and comedian Dudley Moore in Miami.

Amanda, who works in the laboratory, also played for Princess Diana at the Savoy Hotel in London at a charity ball.

Miss Rantzen features Amanda in her book, referring to their relationship following Hearts of Gold. Amanda, who originally lived in Keighley, was invited to the launch of the book. She was unable to attend because her 74-year-old father Bill died of prostate cancer in November.

She has raised thousands of pounds for cancer charities through piano playing.

l Jennifer Bloor, 24, a plant engineer at Ciba, is the current holder of the CIA award, and as an ambassador for the industry has travelled worldwide this year talking to young people.