Wannabe model Vickee Bessey is one step nearer achieving her ambition to tread the catwalks of the international fashion houses after being selected to take part in the heats of a beauty pageant.

Now she is hoping for support from the community in a public text vote to help her reach the finals and make her dream come true.

The 14-year-old Norton Hill pupil was spotted by scouts from the Teen Queen beauty pageant while on a school trip to the Clothes Show in December.

When they asked her if she wanted to enter their modelling competition, she didn't expect to hear any more.

Much to Vickee's surprise, a few months later she got a call from organisers saying her application was going to be put in front of the judges.

A few weeks after that and Vickee, from Church Street, Paulton, was off to London for a photo shoot and now her picture is on the website for Teen Queen where members of the public are being invited to vote for their favourite.

If Vickee gets within the top three vote then she will get to the finals of the competition aimed at teenagers in August with the prospect of a modelling contract and a chance to represent the UK at an international pageant.

Vickee said: "At the photo shoot I was told that 50 out of 80 girls photographed would appear on the website and I didn't expect anything to come from that either.

"But my picture is on the website and enduring a public vote and I would love the support of my local community to help get me through to the final."

Her mother, Teresa, said that Vickee was very excited about the prospect.

"She is over the moon because she has always wanted to be a model and she has got this far. It would be a dream come true."

But Mrs Bessey is also determined that her daughter will keep her feet firmly on the ground and not let her school work suffer.

"As a family we are really happy for her but we don't want it to distract from her school work because it is important to get qualifications."

Vickee is keen to follow a career in fashion design or as a make-up artist.

Voting in Vickee's heat started on May 1 and continues up until May 31 and her photograph can be seen in the Teen Princess section of the Teen Queen website at www.missteenqueenuk. com.