BONNY baby Richard Staines and top tot Ellie Ainsworth proved you are never too young to start collecting silverware.

The youngsters both scooped first prizes in the 1999 Lancashire Evening Telegraph Baby of the Year competition.

Richard, aged 16 months, and Ellie, who will be three in two weeks, were chosen by readers from 334 entries in the competition, which raises money for the area's sick children.

They received trophies, £100 worth of Debenhams vouchers and a framed portrait from Stuart Ainslie Photography.

Alan Simpson, deputy editor of the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, congratulated the winners and thanked the sponsors for their support during an awards ceremony at Debenhams in Blackburn.

Richard's mum and dad Philippa Haworth, 32, and Brian Staines, 39, live in Alliance Street, Baxenden.

Philippa said: "Richard has a really cheeky look. He's the apple of his grandma's eye. She entered him and was as delighted as us that he won." Ellie's mum and dad Gillian, 35, and Graham, 36, live in Walton Crescent, Blackburn.

Gillian said: "The win couldn't have come at a better time because Ellie is about to move into a bigger bedroom, so we plan to use the vouchers to buy new bedding and curtains.

"She knows something special has happened and is enjoying all the fuss."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.