High-flying award for young letter-writer

An eight-year-old boy with reading difficulties has won a letter- writing contest - with an application for the job of squadron leader.

Lloyd Morrison from Northfield in Bristol scooped the prize for his age category in the 23rd Royal Mail Young Letter Writer of the Year contest, announced yesterday, with his request to be an RAF pilot.

He was one of a record 500,000 youngsters aged between four and 16 who rose to the challenge of composing an application for their dream job, judged in four age categories.

Winners were presented with their cash prizes - pounds 400 for the individuals and pounds 600 for the schools - by Royal Mail's managing director Richard Dykes, and England rugby player Jeremy Guscott, in London.

Lloyd, who was only seven when he wrote the letter, explained his love for aeroplanes had grown from reading books, using a flight simulator programme on his father's computer and watching the film Top Gun.

His star letter ran: "Last summer I went to the Farnborough air show where I have seen the plane that I wanted to fly in the English air force. It is the new EFA Eurofighter.

"The Eurofighter will be the most wicked plane in the world, and I want to fly one through the clouds and defend my country from bad men.

"I think I would make a good pilot because I have good eyesight, and don't get lost very often.

"I would keep my plane very clean because they must get lots of flies on them in the summer. I am quite brave but would like to have a parachute when flying. I would also need a uniform and oxygen mask for when I fly very high and would like to be paid at least pounds 2 a day."