PSYCHOLOGY student Rebecca Clarke last night clinched the Miss Durham title.

The third annual beauty contest was held last night at Sedgefield Racecourse and saw 20 finalists compete over three rounds.

After displays of evening wear, club wear and football wear, the 20 were whittled down to ten and then to the final three.

Bex, as she is known, will now represent the county in the Miss England contest.

The 18-year-old, from Bolam, near Gainford, is studying A-levels in psychology and sociology at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, in Darlington.

She said: "I'm absolutely ecstatic to win. I'm thrilled, I really didn't think I would, there were some stunning girls there.

"It was actually my boyfriend's mum who said I should enter and even then I had to be practically forced to fill out the form.

"But I'm glad I did and even if I hadn't won, it's been a great day. We've all been treated so well and I'm very grateful to everyone."

Andrea McGinley, 19, from Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, was runner-up and Caroline West, 19, of Durham City, finished third.