STUDENT Sharon Bainbridge has won a top award for her mastery of hat-making.

Sharon, 39, is one of only 11 people across the UK to win a City and Guilds excellence medal in creative crafts.

The mother-of-two, who lives in Halifax, studies millinery at Huddersfield Technical College.

She will attend a ceremony at the Lancaster Hotel in London's Hyde Park.

Fashion is a complete career change for Sharon, who has a law degree and used to be a headhunter for legal firms.

She made it to the final of the 2003 Hat Designer of the Year event.

Deborah Cooke, also on a course at the technical college, won a highly commended award.

She is a 41-year-old interior decorative techniques student from Helme.