A FORMER Ilkley girl showed off her best model behaviour to be picked out of more than 400 people for the grand final of a modelling competition.

Emma Smith, 12, who has always wanted to be a model, will take to the catwalk in Bradford this Saturday for the final of the Telegraph & Argus Model Search competition.

Her mother, Lesley, said: "She'd been saying for ages that she wanted to do modelling. When a friend in Bradford heard about it she got her a form, so we sent it off.

"We didn't think she would get through, but we got a letter back and went along on Saturday."

Emma, who competed in the 11 to 15 years old category, said: "I was really nervous and had to wait for all the little children and adults to go. Then they called out your name and you had to walk down the catwalk and back.

"My name was one of the first to come out. I don't know why they picked me, but mum said I did a good catwalk."

Emma, who now lives in Silsden, is waiting along with the other finalists to go along to the Kirkgate Centre this Saturday for a chance to win shopping vouchers, and be considered for future stardom by Nemesis Model Agency.

But regardless of what happens Emma knows what she would like to do when she grows up: "I would like to carry on modelling, no matter what. People had mentioned it to me about being a model, so much that I wanted to try it. My name was one of the first to come out because I was the second one in my group."

Around 300 shoppers, parents and friends gathered to cheer on and watch the modelling hopefuls as they sashayed down the specially constructed catwalk in their most fabulous outfits. There were four different groups: four to seven; seven to ten; 11 to 15; and adult male and female.

Out of the 450 contestants who came along, 130 were asked to come back for Saturday's grand final, where one male contestant and one female contestant will be picked from each category.