A 10-year-old Kidderminster girl earned rapturous applause as the youngest speaker at a prestigious national conference attended by more than 500 delegates.

Billie-Jo Evans, took the podium to address a full house at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minster's conference on Respect, held in London.

As a member of the Oldington and Foley Park Pathfinder Reporters, she spoke about growing up in the area and her work with other young people, the school and wardens to improve the area.

"Young people don't want litter everywhere," she told them. "We want it to be nice and safe for us to play."

Afterwards, she said: "I was very shocked and nervous to be chosen. I was nervous when I spoke but I got a big round of applause when I finished and everyone came back and said well done."

Billie-Jo said she would like to be a pathfinder or a warden when she was older.

Junior Pathfinders and Pathfinder Reporters are part of the Oldington and Foley Park Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder, set up two years ago to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, declining education, skills shortages and poor health and well-being.