Ref. 11890/1LITTLE Elizabeth France is so hooked on England's Rugby World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson that she must qualify as one of his youngest and most devoted fans.

The five-year-old from Lower Fyfield gets such a kick from watching the fly half with the golden boot that she calls herself by his surname, has made a scrapbook of his newspaper pictures and wrote a letter of congratulations asking him to her sixth birthday party in July.

Now she has received back a trophy to treasure. It's a picture of her hero with the handwritten message: To Elizabeth, take care, love Jonny Wilkinson.

Elizabeth is over the moon and has shown the picture to all her friends at Kennet Valley School, in Lockeridge.

Mum Sam France said: "It just shows what a nice person he must be that he took the time to write back to a five-year-old." She said Elizabeth, who wanted nothing more for Christmas than an England rubgy shirt and a rugby ball, became a fan when she watched England's last two world cup matches with her dad Victor, her twin Helena and her seven-year-old brother Edward.

"She got very, very excited when they won and was running up and down screaming," said Mrs France.

Both mum and dad think Jonny comes across as a genuinely nice person who is a good role model for youngsters.

"Elizabeth really does want to play rugby now and it has given her such an interest," said Mrs France.

Elizabeth hopes that one day she will meet her hero. Asked what she would say to him, she said: "I would tell him again congratulations, tell him I really like him and ask him if he will he marry me."