A brave girl living with cancer has made her political debut, taking tea with the Chancellor of the Exchequer in Downing Street.

Five-year-old Ella Giles, from Surbiton, suffers from Neuroblastoma, a malignant tumour which occurs in her nerve tissue.

The Christchurch Primary School pupil attended the Christmas-themed tea party hosted by George Osborne with forty other seriously ill children, but her condition saw her temperature spike when she got home and she was taken to Kingston Hospital.

Ella is often taken to hospital with a soaring temperature, but this year, her mother Victoria Giles hopes she will be home for Christmas.

Mrs Giles said: “If her temperature goes over 38 degrees she will get an infection. A normal child will just have some Calpol and they will be fine. But with Ella, we always end up at the hospital.

“She keeps saying there are five sleeps until Santa comes but I’m just praying she’s at home for Christmas and not in hospital.

“I’ve learnt to take each day as it comes – I can’t look too far into the future, but in the short term, I just want her to be pain free and happy.”

Number 11 also played host to other celebrities, including Doctor Who star Matt Smith, and former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell. It was an amazing adventure and a huge honour.

Ella was able to meet reindeers and decorate a wishing tree with Ms Halliwell and CBBC presenter Gemma Hunt.

Mrs Giles said: “I think I was more excited than her that we were in Downing Street. I tried to explain to her what a prime minister was and she said: ‘It it a bit like running a school?’”

She added that Ella “adored” the balloons and was very excited to tell her friends at school.

The party was part of the Starlight Children’s Foundation Christmas of Happiness, which tries to make the wishes of children in hospitals and hospices come true.