WITH Miss Blackburn and Miss Burnley titles up for grabs for the first time, scores of young women are scrambling to get their hands on the towns' tiaras.

Overall 142 would-be beauty queens from the Blackburn area, and 94 hopefuls around Burnley, entered the competition.

Forty-five finalists aged 17-24 have charmed their ways into judges’ hearts for a chance to be given the coverted sash.

If you thought all beauty queens were aspiring models and actresses, think again.

Among the finalists are a nurse, a youth councillor, a kickboxing instructor and an army recruit.

So what makes an independent young woman enter a beauty contest?

East Lancashire’s youngest applicant, Burnley College A-Level student, Rebecca Jones of Waddington Avenue, Burnley, said it isn’t all about looks.

Rebecca, who turns 17 when the competition is held, added: “I’m a member of Burnley Youth Council which aims to make Burnley a better place to live.

“Doing this seemed a way of taking that role one step further.

"I want to show Burnley in a positive light and other girls that you can be interested in beauty but also be intelligent.”

Another contestant, nurse Sarah-Jayne Lincoln, 22, from Feniscowles, Blackburn said: “I want to represent the town and show that anyone can have beauty with a purpose.

Sarah-Jayne, a former winner of a title run by Blackburn’s Mall shopping centre said: “You don’t need to have the sunbed and false eyelashes.

"It’s what you aspire to and what’s within. that counts.”

Patience Zinyemba, is hopes to follow in the footsteps of current Miss England, forces beauty Katrina Hodge, who visited the Lancashire Telegraph’s office recently to encourage girls to put themselves forward.

The 20 year-old from Fountain Avenue, Blackburn is joining the army.

She said: “I wanted to show people that joining the army doesn’t mean that you can’t be glamorous and feminine.

“When I saw that the contest was coming to Blackburn and that last year’s Miss England winner was in the forces, I was inspired to have a go myself.”

Barmaid and actress, Donna Rainford, 21 of Swinless Street, Burnley, is hoping to be crowned the town’s winner.

She said: “Obviously the glamour aspect of the competition is nice and attracts people.

“I want to be a role model for other young women in the town.

“I have been involved in community work in the past, being a member of a group called Breaking Barriers in Burnley that tries to raise awareness of the dangers of extremism through theatre.”

Former top model Gene Sutcliffe, a contemporary of Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton in the swinging 1960s scene, who runs a successful clothing store in Accrington, said: “It has taken on quite a different role from all those years ago when it was just bodies and beauty. Girls now are interviewed intellectually.”

Contest organiser Mark Jones said: “It used to be all about the seaside resorts and swimsuits but now we are looking for an ambassador for the towns, not who is just the most aesthetically pleasing.

"It’s the whole package.”

All East Lancashire finalists will be interviewed by a panel of judges with the public being asked to vote online for their favourites.

Voting opens on Monday, April 26 at www.missblackburn.co.uk or www.missburnley.co.uk. Closing date is May 26. The winners progress into the Miss England semi-finals.