ByBrian Gomm TWO Atherton super babies scooped the Journal's Child of the Millennium titles.

Readers selected 13-months-old Ellie-Jay Hurst tops in the under two section and Jaydi Battersby the star of the two and over group.

Both beat-off tough competition from hundreds of entries in The Journal, P and A Photographic Services and Tesco, Atherton, sponsored competition earlier this year.

At a civic presentation on Monday night at Leigh Town Hall the Journal-land's six top tots and proud parents received their awards from the Mayor Cllr Mrs Joan Hurst, portrait specialists Alan and Pauline Holgate of PandA Photographic and shopping vouchers from Tesco Atherton produce manager Katie Dillon.

Journal editor Malcolm Ryding introduced the Mayor on her first visit to the Mayor's Parlour at Leigh in her new capacity.

He thanked the sponsors of the third annual event and praised his wife, Barbara, former doctors' practice manager Val Whittle and health visitor Zoe Cooper for their painstaking work in selecting the winners,

Mr Ryding said: "With well over 300 entries they had a very difficult task."

And handing over a cheque for £50 to the M ayor, he said: "As Editor of a newspaper committed to helping local charities it is my privilege to present to the Mayor this cheque for her Charity Appeal Fund which will go to help Butterflies, a charity for disabled children; the Wheelchair Fund and Wigan and Leigh Society for the Blind."

Top prizes went to Ellie-Jay of Leigh Road, and Jaydi, of Seaforth Avenue. Ellie-Jay's delighted parents Penny and Mark and Jaydi's mum and dad Kim and John, there with her thrilled brothers Lee and Kyle, collected 20" x 16" framed portraits from P and A as a lifetime reminder of their wins.

Runner-up spot in the under two age group went to Thomas Topping, aged 17 months, of Lilac Avenue, Leigh, and third to Christian Kings, aged one, of Heath Lane, Lowton.

Thomas was soon at home in the Mayor's parlour, as well he might be. His great-great grandad Sam Jones was Mayor of Leigh in 1963-4 and his portrait hangs in the Town Hall.

He and Christian, with their mums Lisa and Wendy collected 14" x 11" framed portraits.

In the over two years category Georgina Alexandra Davidson, of Bodmin Road, Tyldesley, aged two, finished in second place in the over two section, with Gregory Hughes, aged two and a half, of St George's Street, Tyldesley, third.

They each win a 10" x 8" portrait.

Georgina's mum and dad Gwyneth and Jack could have had a double but when 21 weeks-old Marcus got in front of the camera he refused to smile!

Gregory was with mum and dad Julie and Anthony and little sister Bethany who just missed out in the under two's section.

All six winners received £20 shopping vouchers from the Atherton branch of Tesco.