BY hook or by crook the RAF finally flew into the Pewsey Vale on Monday to help bring alive a young girl's dream of seeing the White Horse near her home get a bright new look.

The RAF's first attempt was thwarted by the weather and Monday as big crowds gathered at Alton Barnes at 4pm there was another hiccup when there was a problem with a hook on a Chinook helicopter.

So people waited patiently for a replacement to be readied and just after 5.30pm the giant helicopter came into view across the hills and the carefully planned operation to re-chalk the Alton Barnes White Horse finally got underway.

Molly Sunderland, 11, and friends from Woodborough Primary School were on hand to help with the chalking after the helicopter delivered the chalk to top of the hill.

She had helped organise the re-chalking and was excited that it was at last happening. She said: "I am very excited.

"It is great so many people have turned up to help. It is a real community effort."

Molly's dad Rob and his friend Steve Napier, who is chairman of Woodborough Parish Council, used their connections to get the RAF and businesses involved and Mollie wrote letters urging them to help.

Molly and her family came up with the idea of giving the White Horse its first major makeover in ten years as a farewell present from Year 6 pupils at Woodborough Primary.

The change of date meant that the Sunderlands had to change their holiday plans but it meant a large number of the clan could be in Alton Barnes for the occasion including one of Molly's uncles who flew in from New York.