Plucky teenager Hayley Williams has received the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Award this week for her courage in dealing with cancer.

Hayley, 14, a pupil at Hardenhuish School in Chippenham, suffered ovarian germ cell tumours and underwent months of chemotherapy.

Another pupil, sixth former Gabrielle Flexer, 17, has also received a Diana Memorial Award for her work with St John Ambulance.

Gabrielle, from Rowden Hill in Chippenham, has been a St John Ambulance volunteer for 11 years and is currently County Cadet of the year.

She was also elected to the National Youth Assembly.

Hayley, a Year 10 student received her certificate, signed by Chancellor Gordon Brown, as a tribute to her determination and bravery in the face of her illness.

Head of year Glenn Williams said: "Throughout the illness and during treatment Hayley remained positive, cheerful and even attempted to keep up with school work. She is a credit to the school."

Hayley, from Chippenham, said it had taken two years for the rare condition to be diagnosed. She is is now fully recovered.

"My stomach got swollen over two years. The cancer is very hard to recognise," she said.

At first medical staff thought she had a different type of cancer but it wasn't until an operation that the truth was revealed.

Germ cell tumours begin the reproductive cells in the ovary and usually occur in teenage girls or young women.

Hayley finally had the condition diagnosed on February 9 this year. "It was terrifying," she said.

She faced three courses of chemotherapy a month for four months, and said it was worse each time.

"It made me feel rotten," she said. "It made me feel sick, and I wasn't eating."

After the first treatment much of her hair fell out and Hayley decided to shave the rest and came to school wearing a hat.

She had tremendous support from her friends at school.

"I did miss quite a bit of school, but now I have a double lesson to help me catch up," she said.

She is determined she will catch up because her illness has given her a new ambition - to be a doctor specialising in oncology.

She was spurred on by the quality of the treatment she received at Bath's Royal United Hospital. "I just think that's what I want to do," she said.

Hayley, who has an older sister Sarah, 17, now has a clean bill of health and is finally able to enjoy doing all the things she likes best - including swimming and ice skating.

Last year six sixth-formers at Hardenhuish won the Diana Memorial Award, which was established in 1999 to celebrate courage, compassion, commitment and selfless service to others.

Helen Finnamore, Daisy Newsome, Jessica Sadler, Elizabeth Jones, Wendy Graham and Eleanor Gillian were rewarded for raising £15,000 for the Meningitis Research Foundation.