LITTLE Danika Peel enjoyed a spectacular start to her summer holidays when she came face-to-face with a real hawk.

The six-year-old lives at RAF Leeming, where her father is a corporal with the RAF police.

She met the hawk while visiting the base's Stepping Stones, where holiday activities are arranged for service personnel between the ages of three months and four years.

The hawk was one of the visitors when experts from the bird of prey centre at Sion Hill Hall, near Thirsk, came along for the day.

"The children had enormous fun meeting all the birds," said a spokesman. "As well as the hawk they also brought along a snowy owl and a barn owl."

Other holiday activities include a visit from a local librarian to tell stories, a treasure hunt, making clowns, learning to bake and sports.