An Abridge schoolboy has been honoured with a Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Award for his outstanding service to the community.

Michael Austin first hit the headlines at the age of 13 when he rallied a group of his peers to speak out at a public meeting aimed at tackling a wave of vandalism in the village.

Boredom caused by a lack of out-of-school activities was found to be one cause of the problem - but the meeting ended on a positive note with youngsters agreeing to write in with suggestions for how the situation could be improved.

Now, more than a year on, Lambourne Parish Council has announced it will be seeking funding for a multi-purpose sports play area on the field behind Abridge village hall.

In addition to his efforts to make the play area a reality, Michael was also cited for his role in getting litter bins installed next to the London Road bus stops down the road from his family home.

The news of Michael's award - which is one of just 3,000 to have been presented nationwide - came during a special assembly at St John's School in Epping.

Michael said: "I would like to thank all my friends for their support and hard work over the years, some of who now have full-time jobs," he said.

"And the parish council for the discussions with youngsters about our ideas and for keeping the project on track."

Published Friday, January 24, 2003

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