FIVE years ago, Lynda Corner stood proudly on the steps of No 10 Downing Street with members of her cub pack from Harrogate for a special photo opportunity.

It was the crowning moment of a trip to London for Mrs Corner and her cub scouts after police officers guarding the street allowed them through a security cordon to have their snaps taken outside No. 10.

But next week, Mrs Corner will step over the threshold of the Prime Minister's residence to meet Tony Blair and his wife, Cherie - by invitation of the Premier.

The 52-year-old Harrogate mother and advanced teaching assistant at Castle Church of England Junior School, in Knaresborough, has received an invitation from the Prime Minister to attend an evening reception on Monday to recognise the community contribution of frontline workers across the country.

"Having posed for a picture on the steps of Downing Street I never believed that one day I would actually get an official invitation to step inside and meet the Prime Minister and his wife," said Mrs Corner, who lives in the Wheatlands area of Harrogate. "I'm looking forward to what promises to be a very special occasion."

At Castle school, Mrs Corner's skills are used for one-to-one teaching for a range of youngsters with varying special needs.

She was recommended for the invitation by a former headteacher Margaret Morris, now working in a Government education training department.

Mrs Corner, a member of St Mark's Parochial Church Council, is also a long-serving Sunday school teacher at St Mark's and a member of the governing body at Castle school.

She regards the invitation as an honour for the school and for those involved in similar work across the North Yorkshire education service.