CANADIAN-born pupil Amber Smyth is feeling decidedly chirpy after her love of British birds landed her in print.

Amber, 12, was among a group of 11-13 year-old Allenbourn Middle School pupils invited to design a Christmas card for Hintons, the Wimborne Gift and Homeware shop.

Amber, who joined the school last year after moving from Squamish in British Columbia, decided to draw a colourful, British robin, because of their stark difference to the plain brown robins found in Canada.

Her design was picked as the best and the card is now on sale exclusively in Hintons Wimborne, with some of the proceeds going to her school’s art department.

Amber, from Poole, said: “I’m amazed I won and thrilled. I never thought mine would be picked.

“I chose a robin because I love the beautiful red breasted version here in England. In Canada they are brown and not Christmassy at all.

“It’s really exciting to know that I will be able to go into Hintons and see a card I have designed for sale.”

Hintons, in the High Street, is Wimborne’s smallest shop - measuring just eight feet 10 inches wide - and was opened by the Mayor Andy Hampton, in July this year.

Owner Richard Smart said: “We love being part of Wimborne’s close community and wanted to be able to provide our customers with some local ‘From Wimborne’ Christmas cards, so it made sense to go to Allenbourn School’s budding, young artists for their help.”

The cards are for sale at £2.75 each or £5 for two, with 10 pence from each card sold going to the school.

Martine Stevens, Head of Art at Allenbourn Middle School said: “It was lovely to see the students coming up with designs for Christmas in Wimborne and they were all thrilled for Amber.”