LAURA Hibberd is one of Britain's brainiest children and tomorrow she gets the chance to prove it to the nation.

The 12-year-old, who lives in Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, is one of 24 children who have qualified for the final of a new TV show.

The one-off general knowledge programme, presented by celebrity brainbox Carol Vorderman, will be broadcast on ITV, tomorrow, and aims to find the brightest young mind in the country.

The programme's makers, Celador Productions, scoured the land to find the finalists.

A reasoning test whittled the entrants down to 70, who were then invited to London to take part in a rigorous examination to find the top 24.

Laura, who attends the exclusive Hordle Walhampton School, in Hampshire, was proud to make the final.

She said: "There were a few questions I couldn't answer and I didn't think I'd get through, because there were so many clever children there, but I did and I was really, really happy."

Laura hopes to study law and become a barrister when she leaves school. She is trying for a scholarship to the Godolphin School, in Salisbury.

Out of term-time, she lives in Catterick Garrison with father Jo, a major in the Royal Logistics Corps, and mother, Lucy. Her brother, Richard, who is 15, attends Clayesmore School, in Dorset.

Mrs Hibberd said: "Laura's a sweetie - just a normal girl and not a brainy nerd, as she puts it. She doesn't go off in her room and do weird things or study, she's just got this special mind.

"I call her a mystery because when she's at home she is totally normal, but when she is at school she excels academically. She's obviously got a good brain."

Laura plays flute and piano, is a member of the school choir and orchestra and enjoys horse-riding.

She chose the life of Charles Dickens as her specialist subject for the programme.

The show has already been recorded and Laura is sworn to secrecy over the results, but she did say: "It was really fun and really exciting.

"We didn't come across as brainy nerds, it was really relaxed and there was no pressure."

Britain's Brainiest Kid, which also features 11-year-old Daniel Higgins, from Westerhope, Newcastle, is screened at 8.30pm.