A FASHION student has been offered a work placement by a top designer after taking the bull by the horns and ringing her up.

Alison Bolton, aged 18, who lives at Manfield, has been studying for her A-levels at the Queen Elizabeth sixth form college in Darlington.

If she gets the desired results she will go on to a pre-degree BTEC art foundation course there. She later hopes to gain a place at St Martin's college in London to study fashion and print.

But in the meantime she has been offered work experience with fashion guru Zandra Rhodes and will work in her London fashion house for the last two weeks in August.

Normally the designer only takes postgraduates on placement but Alison's persuasive telephone tongue managed to get her a foot in the door. Her own work has been influenced by Ms Rhodes.

"It is a great opportunity," said Alison. "Zandra Rhodes is an amazing artist and I hope to learn a lot.