A BLIND Crosland Moor girl has made climbing history.

Mehreen Akhtar, nine, is the first visually impaired youngster to reach the British Regional Youth Climbing Series national final.

Mehreen, from Manchester Road, attends the Huddersfield Actionnaires club, run by Action for Blind People.

She got her place in the national finals by finishing in the top three of the seven to nine age category in the Yorkshire and Humber qualifying event earlier this year.

Ross Ford, sports development officer at Action for Blind People, said when Mehreen first joined the club she was shy and lacked confidence.

He added: "It is a remarkable achievement.

"One of the main aims of running these clubs is for the children to ultimately become involved in mainstream participation with sighted kids."

The clubs, which are UK-wide, aim to give blind and partially- sighted young people aged eight to 16 the opportunity to enjoy sport.

Nick Colton, of the British Mountaineering Council, said: "This is the first time a blind person has entered one of our climbing competitions.

"To reach the national final is a notable achievement for anyone."

The Huddersfield Actionnaires club meets every Saturday from 10am to 1pm at the Huddersfield Sports Centre at Southgate.