A FORMER winner of Miss England is returning to where she started to host the regional competition of the famous beauty pageant.

Jackie Turner won Miss Bournemouth in 2003 before taking the Miss England crown and competing in the finals for Miss World.

Since then she has mixed her modelling career with work as a health, beauty and fitness trainer and helped set up the Poole branch of Fitness First.

Jackie said she is looking forward to returning to her home town and hopes to encourage more young women in the area to enter the contest.

“I'm looking for a girl from Dorset who can walk in the same shoes as me and hopefully go on to Miss England and maybe even Miss World,” she added. “I'd like to develop her and help her career grow like mine.”

The winner of Miss Dorset will qualify for the Miss England competition, which in turn leads to the Miss World finals and a possible $100,000 prize.

Last year’s winner, Emily Kishere, has spoken of how much she enjoyed the event and that she wants to encourage others to take part too. She said: “Miss Dorset is a beauty title which I have worn proudly.

“It is a representation of my picturesque home county which I have grown up, studied and created a life in so it was truly an honour to put Dorset on the map with press and publicity this year.”

The finals are being held at the Print Room, Richmond Hill, on May 4, and entrants are welcome from any females aged 16 to 24 who live, work or study in Dorset and fulfil the criteria of the Miss England rules.

All contestants will be helping to raise funds for charities Beauty with a Purpose and Julia’s House, which benefits disadvantaged children throughout the UK.

To enter Miss Dorset 2014, visit www.missdorset.co.uk, call Jackie on 07801 537866 or email missdorset2014@ gmail.com