A ROXBURGH air cadet is on cloud nine after being named one of the top in the country.

Borders College student Lauren Cardwell, of the 1716 (Roxburgh) Squadron has been named as the top female cadet in the Scotland and Northern Ireland Region of the Air Training Corps.

After achieving the highest rank of Cadet Warrant Officer, the 19-year-old was nominated for the award following her long list of achievements, including representing the RAF Air Cadets as a Lord Lieutenants Cadet, completing the Air Cadet Pilot Scheme and the Qualified Aerospace Instructors Course.

Lauren has also completed the RAF Charitable Trust Sir Michael Knight Scholarship where just ten people each year with exceptional aviator vision are selected to train for their Private Pilots’ License.

The teenager has even travelled to Hong Kong as part of the RAF Air Cadet Exchange and taken part on overseas camps at RAF Troodos in Cyprus and USAF Ramstein in Germany.

After being selected as the top in her region, Lauren travelled to RAF College Cranwell where the top male, female and Combined Cadet Force (RAF) cadets took part in a ‘dragons den’ style questioning in a hope to impress the judges to be named the top in their category.

Despite not winning the ATC75 sword, Lauren is still one of the top six female air cadets in the UK, beating off 31,000 other cadets from across the country.

Lauren told the Border Telegraph: “I am very humbled and honoured to be put forward from my region for this prestigious award.

“This is the pinnacle of the cadets chain and to have the opportunity to be awarded the ATC75 sword is a proud moment for me.

“I will be continuing electrical engineering at University of Dundee in September and joining the University Air Squadron. After my degree, I am to join the RAF as a pilot.”

For more information, or to join, go to: www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets