YOUNG Dana Artene will be celebrating her 11th birthday in style next week – by becoming the 5,000th person to become a British citizen in Oxfordshire.

Dana, who is from Romania, will be joining 39 others from 18 countries at a St George’s Day citizenship ceremony, which is being organised by Oxfordshire County Council.

County council leader Keith Mitchell suggested the idea of holding the ceremony on England’s national day.

He said: “It seemed appropriate to have the ceremony on St George’s Day as these new citizens will become British while England celebrates its national day.

“I’m proud to be English and British and I hope the new citizens will feel the same.

“These events mean a huge amount to everybody involved and I’m delighted the county council is able to have such a direct hand in welcoming new citizens to Oxfordshire and Great Britain.”

A choir from Abingdon’s St Nicolas Primary School will sing, and youngsters from Oxfordshire County Council’s music service will provide musical accompaniment on the day. Officials from the Home Office will also be present, as well as Wantage MP Ed Vaizey.

The countries from which the new British citizens originate are Albania, Armenia, Australia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Canada, China, Ghana, Jamaica, Lebanon, Pakistan, Romania, the Republic of Seychelles, South Africa, Taiwan, Tanzania, the Philippines, Trinidad & Tobago and the USA.

The ceremony is being held in Oxford Town Hall in St Aldate’s at 11am.

All councils in Oxfordshire have said they will be flying the flag of St George on April 23.