By John Connell

Last updated at 11:53, Tuesday, 05 March 2013

Claire Beeby’s model girl looks have won her a place in the top 15 of a national beauty pageant for the second time in a row.

Claire Beeby

Claire, 26, of Tallentire, near Cockermouth, won through to the top 10 in last year’s Miss Galaxy England.

She wowed judges again at the 2013 UK finals of Mrs, Miss and Miss Teen Galaxy in Preston against even tougher competition.

Claire knows she was placed somewhere between 15 and five in the rankings but does not know exactly where.

She said: “I got top 15 but they didn’t do a top 10 this time.

“It was a really tough competition with there being 56 girls there. And I’m still chuffed that I did so well with it being a hard competition.”

She thanked everyone who supported her.

Claire, who works in security, likes entering pageants because they are completely different from what she normally does.

The security worker and former prison custody officer’s usual attire is not quite so feminine or flattering.

When she is at work you are more likely to find her in big boots and combat trousers rather than in glamorous dresses.

Claire’s unique £875 Mac Duggal dress, bought specially for the competition, proved a big hit.

She said: “Everyone was commenting on it.

“They said ‘I wanted to buy that dress but I couldn’t because you had already got it!’.”

Each dress is a one-off so there is no danger of two girls coming to pageant in an identical outfit.

Last year’s success did not automatically guarantee her a place in the finals but she impressed the organisers with a telephone interview and with the quality of the pictures she submitted. The contestants were marked on brains as well as beauty, and will receive extra points for personality.

Claire will also compete in Miss Intercontinental later this year and was in the top eight last time around.

She came fourth in Miss Cumbria 2010.

First published at 11:47, Tuesday, 05 March 2013
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk