SCHOOLGIRL Amy Bunting, has been short-listed for supermodel stardom.

Amy, 16, who has just taken her GCSE exams at Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School, has been selected from thousands of hopefuls as a regional finalist in the UK's biggest model search - the Highland Spring Face of 97.

She will now compete with 24 girls and 19 boys at the North of England final at Manchester Airport's Hilton Hotel on Thursday, August 7.

The judging panel, including Storm Model Management scouts, will decide which youngsters should go through to the star-studded final in September, when contestants will take to the catwalk in front of a celebrity judging panel, including Richard Branson and a Storm supermodel.

Amy, daughter of Rossendale wine merchant Ian Bunting and his wife, Bernice, sent off photographs after reading of the competition.

She has never entered anything like it before and was thrilled to be picked for the regional final.

Like many other youngsters, Amy has had dreams of being a supermodel. But her immediate hopes are to do well in her exams and go on to university.

At school she enjoys sports, playing hockey and netball for school teams. Her brother, Daniel, also attends Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School.

The two overall winners of the competition receive a year's contract with Storm Model Management, £100-worth of Virgin Megastore vouchers, a year's free hairdressing at Toni and Guy, plus TIGI haircare products, Elizabeth Arden cosmetics and a year's supply of Highland Spring natural mineral water.

Previous winners have gone on to lucrative modelling careers.

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