PERSHORE Scout Vikki Reilly has become the first female from the troop to gain the prestigious Queen's Scout Award.

Vikki, 17, joined 1st Pershore Scouts in 2001, a year after it opened.

She has worked her way through a variety of courses to gain "an armful of badges" according to scout leader Steve Hudson, who praised Vikki's

To become a Queen's Scout Vikki has done community service by working at the cottage hospital and helping to run the cub pack and took part in a challenge trip to Mongolia with her school.

Steve said: "She has done extremely well, because there are not many Queen's Scout Awards given out."

Although 1st Pershore Scouts have been going for almost 100 years, the troop has existed in its current format since September 2000, "shortly after watching our scout hut float down the river in 1998," said Steve.

The troop now meets at Abbey Park Middle School and are desperately trying to find a new home to build a scout hut.