A NORTH-East schoolgirl who took her fight against bullies to Downing Street has been shortlisted for a moral courage award.

Joanne Geldart, of Ferryhill, County Durham, was nominated for one of four Young Person's prizes in the first ever Anne Frank awards, which have been created by the Anne Frank Trust UK to celebrate unique acts of moral integrity.

Joanne was badly bullied at school and kept a diary of her bullying because she was determined not to let the bullies beat her.

She wrote to Tony Blair calling on him to appoint a Children's Commissioner for England to tackle bullying, and then met him at Downing Street to discuss the issue.

NSPCC spokesman Brendan Murphy said: "Due to Joanne's tireless campaigning, the Goverment has recently announced in the Every Child Matters Green Paper that a Children's Commissioner will be appointed.

"Joanne has done the country a huge service and we hope she wins this award. The NSPCC nominated her."

Joanne will travel to London on November 11 for the award ceremony, which will be attended by celebrities, at the Hilton Hotel.

She said: "I'm really pleased. I am going to London and I will find out if I have won there.

"If I do win, I'll be really pleased about it."

Joanne is helping the NSPCC with its Full Stop campaign against violence against children and said she was still keeping an eye on the Government's plans for the Children's Commissioner.

Judges for the Anne Frank awards include award-winning actor Sir Ben Kingsley, BBC presenter Michael Buerk, Doreen Lawrence, mother of murdered black teenager Stephen Law-rence, and Mary Marsh, director of the NSPCC.

Winners will receive a statuette, books and a visit to Amsterdam's Anne Frank Museum.