Twenty-two-year-old Sophie Gradon edged out fellow Ponteland contestant, Annabel Dobson, 20, in the Tyne Tees Models-run competition.

Winner Sophie will now go to the Miss England finals in August, with the winner of that competing in Miss World, to be held in October in Kiev, Ukraine.

Tyne Tees Models' boss Lesley Lister said: "All of the girls were completely stunning and we had a great mix of judges.

"The competition could have gone so many ways.

"Sophie was the favourite and she had plenty of confidence, which I think is what the judges saw in her.

"It was fantastic to see everyone's confidence grow and see them up there strutting their stuff and working the crowd.

"It was wonderful to see all the girls go from strength to strength, and at the end I think I had a tear in my eye and a lump in my throat for every one of them.

"It was an amazing night and we raised quite a few thousand for charity."

The 2008 Miss Newcastle final, held in the Newcastle Marriot Hotel, Gosforth Park, raised money for the Sunshine Fund charity.

Cullercoats woman and Britain's Next Top Model Lucy Ratcliffe was one of the judges, alongside Miss England Georgia Horsley and sponsors Nu-Age medical spa director David Bennison.