A WEST Dorset schoolgirl is taking her cycle helmet campaign to the heart of government – through the front door of 10 Downing Street.

Although Maisy Attrill is just ten years old, when it comes to lobbying, she wasted no time in tackling the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on his visit to Burton Bradstock.

Now she has a VIP invitation to visit the House of Commons – and a rare chance to see what goes on behind the famous black door of the Prime Minister’s base.

Maisy, with parents Steve and Debbie Attrill and other members of the family and friends are heading to London on Friday, October 19 for a truly grand day out when Maisy will deliver a letter calling for a law to be brought in to make wearing cycle helmets compulsory.

Mr Clegg’s coalition colleague West Dorset MP Oliver Letwin, has also felt the pressure from local schoolchildren after pupils at St Mary’s School took him to task about his resistance to a cycle helmet law during a visit to the school.

Maisy, who goes to Burton Bradstock Primary School, is an old hand when dealing with the top tier of government – she has met Mr Clegg before, when she served him lunch at her father’s Hive Beach Cafe at Burton.

“Mr Clegg comes down each year so I know him a little bit and I helped serve him last year and this year I served him again.

“I sent him a letter about a project I am doing at school about Margaret Thatcher and I asked would it be possible to go to the House of Commons.

“Then recently, one of the staff at the cafe got knocked off her bike when someone suddenly opened their car door and she didn’t have a helmet.

“So my dad and I thought it would be a good idea to send Mr Clegg a letter about people getting injuries because of not having a helmet. We had emails about it and a letter has come from the office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s office all about it.”

This isn’t the first time Maisy has got to grips with issues that matter to her. Her grandfather died of cancer last year and she has baked cakes and helped with fundraising for charities like Macmillan and when she was only four she collected shoes for a Blue Peter appeal.

Dad Steve said: “If Maisy puts her mind to something she will carry it out to the best of her abilities – and try to involve other people.”

Maisy, herself, has no doubts about why she has been so effective in getting her point across with the top politician.

“Well, who could refuse a ten-year-old?” she points out.