A TEENAGER has won through to the semi-finals of a national beauty contest after being spotted at a fashion exhibition.

Tillie Brown, 13, beat thousands of other wannabe models to make her way through to the last 50 girls who are hoping to be crowned Teen Princess UK.

If the youngster, from Read, wins she will have the chance to win a modelling contract and also be the face of publicity campaigns for beauty and fashion brands Fake Bake, Prom Perfect Gowns and Additional Lengths Hair.

Tillie, a pupil at St Augustine’s RC School, Billington, was spotted at Clothes Show Live exhibition whilst on a school trip and was asked to have her photograph taken to enter Teen Princess UK, the younger age category of Teen Queen UK, for girls aged 13 to 15.

Her father Fergus Brown, of Clitheroe, said: “Tillie has never modelled before, I don’t think any of us had even considered it.

“She went on a school trip to the Clothes Show Live in Birmingham in December where she was asked by the Teen Queen stand to have her photograph taken to enter Teen Princess.

About 19,000 girls had their photograph taken for the competition and from that a few hundred were written to and asked to send a photograph of themselves.

“Tillie couldn’t believe it when then asked her to be one of the 100 girls to go to London and have a photo shoot.

"They then wrote to her and said she was one of the final 50.

“It’s now down to the public to vote for her online before February 29. If she is successful she will be one of a handful of girls to be in the finals in London in September.”