A FORMER Plymouth schoolgirl has magicked up a children's fantasy story which has been published.

Sarahjane Funnell who has just moved to Epping from Kings Tamerton, said she "could not believe it" when she was told that her tale, Princess Rose and the Royal Tea Castle, was to be printed inside an anthology.

The 25-year-old fashion student, who now works as a press assistant at Lush Cosmetics, was browsing fashion publications in a bookshop when she was inspired by the children's book section.

She said: "I saw all the children's stories and thought how I'd like to write one myself. I'd always been a fan of Alice in Wonderland and Enid Blyton."

The avid writer created a fantasy world about a princess who lived in a teapot castle, surrounded by tea leaves with a main character, Rose, who undergoes much training in tea etiquette.

Rose then decides to hold a tea competition, which attracts people from across her kingdom of Prettypont.

When the former Coombe Dean student completed her story, she sent it to many agents but got no response. She eventually entered it into a competition through a website, and it was chosen along with 20 others to appear in the A Pocketful of Moondust anthology, published by Rebel Books LLP.

She said: "I couldn't believe it when I got the email 10 months later– I was amazed and so excited."

She advised others considering writing a story to "work hard and keep at it".

She said: "I didn't know anyone in the industry – I was just lucky and worked hard."

Sarahjane will benefit financially from the royalties of the story, and is currently working on other children's stories.