CORONATION STREET actress Samia Ghadie helicoptered in to the Rose Bowl cricket ground to meet a Waterside computer-whizz chosen to front a government campaign to boost use of the Internet.

Samia - who plays Maria Sutherland - presented Maureen Russell of Calshot with a top-of-the-range laptop to mark her success at mastering the computer.

Maureen, aged 51, has been chosen to represent the Get-Started campaign because her own life has been greatly enhanced by IT. For two years Maureen has been a regular at Blackfield's UK Online Centre and staff say her progress has been made in "leaps and bounds".

Maureen grew up in a large family and had "little schooling".

"Before I could access the computer facilities I had to follow a free literacy and numeracy course. Now I spend about four hours a week on the computers," she said.

Maureen has also also won free Internet access for a year. Totton College staff set up Blackfield's computer suite at the Neighbourhood Centre three years ago.

A twin centre was later launched at St Anne's Community Centre at Netley View.