A HARD-working York College student has a head-start at university after winning a special prize in memory of murdered backpacker Caroline Stuttle.

Caroline, of Huntington, York, died, aged 19, in April last year, while travelling round Australia.

After her death, her mother, Marjorie, and brother, Richard, set up the Caroline's Rainbow Foundation, to help young travellers abroad.

Through the foundation, the best psychology student at York College each year receives £100 in book tokens and a certificate.

The book tokens are to help first-year university students pay their large book bills. This year's winner was Amy Lee, who is going to Manchester University, where Caroline planned to go when she got back from her travels.

Marjorie said: "This is a very special way of remembering Caroline. She worked so hard to get her 'A' in psychology and was stopped from going to Manchester by losing her life.

"It is good to know someone else is being helped to go on and study."

Updated: 10:41 Thursday, July 17, 2003