JUDGES selected a Preston schoolgirl for the regional heats of a beauty contest - despite her head being missing from the entry photographs.

Claire Kok, aged 15, beat thousands of hopefuls for a place in the North of England Final of The Highland Spring Face of '96.

But her friend, Lucy, who sent in the photos, had trouble working the camera and botched two of them.

Claire said: "Something went wrong with the camera and my head was chopped off on the figure shots. She still sent in the pictures and didn't tell me. When I found out I was in the final I was shocked, " said Claire, of Chestnut Bank, Nooklands, off Garstang Road.

"I suppose every girl would like to be a model and obviously only a couple get the chance. I'm just going to enjoy it while it lasts.

The teenager, who is studying for her GCSEs at Westholme School, Blackburn, has high hopes of becoming a teacher if she does not make it into modelling. The regional final takes place at Manchester on August 8 with places for the Grand Final in London, up for grabs.

Finalists will step out in front of a panel of judges including Richard Branson and Carla Bruni and two lucky winners - one female and one male - will win year long contracts with the leading agency Storm Model Management.

Other prizes include a double page fashion spread in the Daily Express, one year's free hairdressing at Toni and Guy salons, £250 worth of Nicole Farhi clothes - and a year's supply of Highland Spring mineral water.

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