Girl aims to be teen queen
A would-be beauty queen from Shropshire has reached the semi-finals of a national contest.
Charlotte Wall, of Wellington, beat off competition from more than 4,500 entrants in the Miss Teen Queen UK contest.
The 13-year-old now needs as many votes as possible to win a trip to Barbados to represent the UK in the Miss Teen Universe pageant.
Proud mother Colette Wassell, 41, has appealed for members of the public to give Charlotte their support. She said: "Charlotte was spotted at The Clothes Show in Birmingham last December and asked to take part in this competition.
"She attended a photoshoot in London in April, which she really enjoyed.
"The Miss Teen Queen contest is similar to Miss UK, but for teenagers. Charlotte is very keen to become a model one day, but we will have to wait and see what happens."
Charlotte, a year eight student at the Charlton School in Wellington, is studying for her SATs.
Mrs Wassell said her daughter was excited at the prospect of going to Barbados, but was keeping her feet on the ground.
She added: "She is fairly grounded and her older sister Jenny, who is 15, has been very supportive of her.
"I think Jenny is a bit upset that she did not enter the competition herself."
Text and phone votes are now being taken for competitors in the 13-15 and 16-19 age groups, with lines closing on May 31.
To find out how to vote for Charlotte, log on to www.missteenqueenuk.com
