IF you want to be the Aldbourne Carnival Queen it seems you have to be called Laura and have a surname beginning with B.

The newly elected carnival queen is Laura Beattie, 16, who lives in the village.

She takes over from Laura Brown who was the 2002 carnival queen.

The selection took place on Saturday at an open-air evening soire in Back Lane.

It was a family event with music provided by the local band Wet Paint.

The new carnival queen is the daughter of the Marlborough district Guides commissioner Wendy Beattie.

Laura, a former Brownie, who is now a Guide, helps run the village pack and is currently undergoing training as a Brownie leader.

She is a student at St John's School in Marlborough and has completed her GCSE exams. She plans to return to the sixth form in September.

Laura, who has a 14-year-old brother, Joe, also at St John's, has her sights on a career as a hairdresser.

"I have always wanted to be a hairdresser, " she said.

Two years ago she was a carnival queen attendant.

Laura's own attendants will be Kelly Little, 14, and Donna Keen, 19, and the crowning ceremony will be held on August 30 at Beech Knoll by permission of Mr and Mrs Richard Price.

The carnival princesses, who were also selected on Saturday night, are Alexandra Hutchins, Isabella Lee and Jade Watts.