Pretty Becki will be Carnival Princess

OUR Carnival Princess has been crowned – and she can't wait to greet her public.

Pretty Becki Douglass, 8, has won the Cleethorpes Carnival Princess Competition, run by the Grimsby Telegraph.

The William Barcroft Junior School pupil, who dreams of performing in the West End, will ride the parade on Saturday, July 20, in front of hundreds of spectators.

Becki, who lives with proud mum, Judy, in Tiverton Street, Cleethorpes, said: "I promise I won't let anyone down.

"As soon as my mum told me I had won, I was delighted. I felt very happy and for once, I was speechless!"

She was presented with her tiara and special princess sash by representatives of the carnival sponsors, Young's Seafood Ltd.

And on the day, she will be treated to a make-over by The Cutting Club in Grimsby Road, Cleethorpes, and a photoshoot by Say Cheese Studios.

For Becki, who admires Sleeping Beauty's Princess Aurora, it is a dream come true.

She continued: "I will be very excited and definitely not shy! I will be beaming, waving and smiling.

"My friends at school kept saying well done and congratulations which made me feel really good.

"I am looking forward to waving to all the people and wearing my nice dress, tiara and sash."

For Judy, a nurse, there was never any doubt that her daughter would win.

She said: "I am so pleased and delighted for her. It is going to be such a big occasion for her.

"From being small, she has always wanted to be a dancer on the Westend. She was born to be a star.

"She knows she can do this well, she won't be overcome by it, she is going to shine. The day will be her stage and she will love every second of it."

Becki was among 50 hopefuls to enter the competition.

She made it through to the top five in the public vote, before she was chosen as winner by a panel of judges.

Judy added: "She has lived in Cleethorpes all her life, she loves it down the seafront, so for her to represent the town makes me so proud."

Young's are thrilled with their princess and promise the public a carnival that is bigger and better than ever before.

Alan Crookes, from Young's new product development team, said: "It is shaping up to be a wonderful day. The community have really got behind it.

"We started our hunt for a carnival princess from nothing and the response we got was fantastic. Fifty children entered and Becki floated all the way to the top.

"We like to think we will do it again next year and we will get the same terrific response."

The Carnival Parade will set off from Sidney Park, Cleethorpes, at 2.30pm.