HOPES for a talented 12-year-old dancer to attend a world-class ballet school are falling flat, with only a tiny portion of the £25,000-a-year tuition fees raised so far. Wisbech youngster Danielle Melton was offered a place at the Arts Education School i

HOPES for a talented 12-year-old dancer to attend a world-class ballet school are falling flat, with only a tiny portion of the £25,000-a-year tuition fees raised so far.

Wisbech youngster Danielle Melton was offered a place at the Arts Education School in Tring Park, Hertfordshire, after impressing judges at an audition.

Her mum Charlotte Young has since been trying to raise enough money to afford the tuition fees - but has so far raised only £250.

"That isn't going to get us very far," said Miss Young. "I have applied for lots of educational grants and sent letters and I am waiting for a lot of them to get back to me.

"The end of June is the cut-off point to pay and, if I have not got the budget, she will not be able to go. It is starting to get to the point where I don't know what I am going to do."

Miss Young's efforts to raise the money have been spurred on by the death on Friday of her father Maurice, from Gorefield, at the age 67.

"He was Danielle's biggest fan," said Ms Young. "He always said she had to get there somehow and it would be wonderful if she did."

Danielle, of Burcroft Road trains at the Evelyn Hunter Dance Academy in Wisbech.

Her success was reported in the Standard in December when Miss Young said: "I will do everything I can to help Danielle. She has done her part, now I owe it to her to do my best to raise the money.

"It's been Danielle's dream to become a professional ballet dancer since she was three. Now she has a great opportunity to fulfil that.