THE search is on for a special local youngster to play a key role in the tenth anniversary celebrations of Southampton liner Queen Mary 2.

The Daily Echo has joined forces with Cunard to find a boy or girl who was born on May 9, 2004, the same day as the transatlantic liner became the shipping line’s official flagship.

Next month the liner will be returning from her current world cruise to celebrate her birthday.

The chosen ten-year-old, together with his or her parents, will be invited to visit QM2 while she is in port and to also press the button to start a glittering firework display, which will light up the night sky over the Cunard fleet of three ships.

Friday, May 9, promises to be a spectacular day in Southampton with QM2 along with Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria all lined up along Southampton’s historic waterfront.

During the day the Duke of Edinburgh, who accompanied the Queen when she named QM2 in Southampton back in January, 2004, will attend a gala lunch held on the vessel to celebrate her ten years of service.

While on board, the Duke of Edinburgh will go behind the scenes of the ship to meet many of the ship’s crew members.

In the evening, with all three vessels together in Southampton Water, fireworks will soar overhead and cascade down over the ships as they prepare to set sail.

A Cunard spokesman said: “We are keen to find a ten-year-old boy or girl, born on May 9, 2004, who shares the same ‘birthday’ as our flagship to be our guest, and to take part in the celebrations.

“The youngster, together with their mum and dad, will be welcomed on board Queen Mary 2 and be given a tour of the ship and then have refreshments in our King’s Court restaurant.

“Then as the start of the fireworks approaches at 10pm they will be taken out on to the quayside of the Ocean Terminal where the boy or girl will be invited to press the button to signal the start of the display.”

If a number of youngsters apply to take part in the celebrations then a name will be picked at random from the entries by a representative of Cunard.

In her first decade QM2 has sailed the equivalent of three times to the moon and back, and carried more than 1.3 million passengers, enough to fill Westminster Abbey 651 times.

As well as human guests, in excess of 2,000 dogs have travelled on QM2, five times as many as in Battersea Dogs Home.

• Send the name, address, telephone number and a photocopy of the passport page showing date of birth to: Cunard Anniversary, Southern Daily Echo, PO Box 430, Southampton, SO16 9ZF. The closing date is Friday, April 18.