A woman from Otley is to feature in a glossy fashion magazine after her strong looks and personality caught its staff's eye.

But 24-year-old Chloe Ewart, pictured, faces a dilemma if her modelling takes off - she's due to go to Australia later in the year for a conservation project.

"It all seems a bit dreamlike and surreal - I still can't believe it. My friends think it's hilarious but they're all really proud of me," said the former office worker.

Before the fashion photo-shoot she had already been selected as the face of green cosmetic store Body Shop.

"I was flicking through Marie Claire and I saw a competition. It said they weren't looking for typical models and I thought it would be a bit of a giggle," she said.

She sent in two photographs of herself, together with a short essay on being the face of Body Shop, and was amazed to learn she had been included in a shortlist of just 20.

After a trip to London, where more photographs were taken, she was put into the final ten before being invited back to the Lansborough Hotel and announced the winner.

Immediately afterwards, Chloe was whisked away for a photo shoot for a three-page special for the October edition of Marie Claire.

"It was absolutely brilliant and so much fun and I got to wear this absolutely gorgeous dress."

Nicola Moulton, Marie Claire's deputy beauty editor and competition judge, said: "Chloe has everything we were looking for in the winner - a great personality, a strong, interesting face and a real sense of presence.

"She literally lights up a room when she walks in - we're really pleased for her."

She will also see her face across the country in Body Shop promotions across its hundreds of stores.

But Chloe, who is 5ft 4ins and wears a size ten in clothes, is off to Brisbane in November to work on a voluntary conservation project.

"I'm not really sure what I want to do. If I was offered a modelling contract, I'd probably take it," she said.