15379A WESTBURY girl has become the town's first female scout after an investiture ceremony in Meadow Lane last Thursday.

Chloe Carter, 10, a pupil at Westbury Junior School, decided she wanted to take the unusual step of joining the scouts after getting too old for Brownies.

New scout groups automatically have to accept girls but older packs such as Westbury still have a choice as to whether they should be allowed.

Westbury Scouts leader and Chloe's father Anthony Carter said her investiture represented a big milestone.

Mr Carter, 39, said: "I have been fighting for girls to be allowed to join Westbury Scouts for the last three years and at last it has happened.

"I think it is important they are allowed to do what they want to do. There is only one Guide group in Westbury anyway and so spaces were very limited.

"Hopefully this will lead to a few more girls joining because a lot of them might hear about this and think it is something they want to do."

Mr Carter said the main reason for allowing the unit to invest girls was the recent appointment of Sue Greaves as Westbury's first female leader.

He said: "Appointing Sue as a leader was a big step forward for us and hopefully it will lead to more girls joining.

"Scouts is not an organisation for girlie girls. It would be fair to describe Chloe as a tomboy and I think the activities Scouts do will suit her.

"We do far more than just tying knots and I believe Scouts give children a good start in life and teaches them things that are important when they get older."