THE head of a country school near Thirsk is in the running for a national award for outstanding contributions to the rural community.

Susan Hollows is nominated in the Rural Schoolteacher of the Year category, in the National Farmers' Union Countryside Awards.

Mrs Hollows is head at Sutton-under-Whitestonecliffe Primary School where pupil numbers have doubled since her arrival in 1996.

During the foot-and-mouth crisis, her careful liaison between the school and local farmers enabled it to stay open to provide a focal point away from the difficulties.

Working alongside governors, Mrs Hollows has also led fundraising efforts for a new school building and gained permission for the facility to be built last year.

The winners will be announced at a gala lunch in London on July 16, and the prizes given will relate to each category winner's particular needs.