Nine-year-old North Tawton cub Maisie Bourne has won a mid-Devon scouting award to design a new badge in honour of the Platinum Jubilee.

Maisie’s badge design was one of dozens across the mid-Devon region and will now be worn by all scout groups and leaders across the region.

Mum Sarah said her daughter was ‘over the moon’ when she got the news.

She said: ‘Maisie was absolutely over the moon she won and is very proud that all the mid-Devon sectors will be wearing it with pride; scouts, beavers, cubs and the leaders.

‘This has been a massive achievement for Maisie and she is so proud.’

The competition opened on March 3 to all scout groups in the mid-Devon district and Maisie was finally presented with the embroidered version of her badge design at the Mid-Devon District Camp last Friday (June 10) in front of 400 other beavers, cubs and scouts from across the mid-Devon area.

Maisie, from the 1st North Tawton pack, spent several days researching the Queen and decided to include the Union Jack and a crown in her design alongside the Scout logo.

She said in her application: ‘I designed this logo for all cubs, scouts and beavers. I chose to include the dates of the Queen’s reign and her crown as we are proud of her and our country.’

Sarah has touted it as a particular success for her daughter who is borderline autistic and, despite anxiety, was brave enough to stand in front of the hundreds of scouts and leaders present to receive her prize.

She added: ‘The camp was amazing and so much fun. Maisie had the most amazing time.’

The Boy Scouts were originally set up by Robert Baden-Powell in the early 20th century for boys aged 11-18 to provide them with practical skills they might need in later life.

The group attracted thousands of scouts, as they had became known, and was so popular that, in 1916, it was decided to extend the age range to include a new scout section which would cater to boys aged eight to 11. The group was given the name Wolf Cubs

Since then, the Scouts have continued to expand the range of activities available and, since 1991, girls have been able to join the organisation.