THE winner of a Daily Echo-backed Christmas-themed art competition received her prize of £100 to spend on toys on Wednesday.

Ciara Moore from Ensbury Park was one of three children who won gift vouchers from Beales for their paintings submitted to Bournemouth Town Centre BID’s festive art competition.

More than 1,000 children aged from five to nine submitted their interpretation of what Christmas in Bournemouth meant to them.

The two runners-up were named as Mollie Whitaker-Shortland, six, from Canford Heath Infant School and Sundari Oddy, nine, from Elm Academy, while Ciara’s school, Christ the King Catholic Primary School, received £300 of Castle Cameras Canon vouchers.

Lisa Tucker, chairman of the Bournemouth Town Centre BID, said: “It’s the first year of the competition and we are really pleased with how many children and schools got onboard.

“We had the Gardens of Light event in the lower gardens and wanted to expand it to include the Pine Walk Art Exhibition, which opens it up and shows it in a different light.”

The finalists of the competition were selected by Daily Echo readers when the 15 shortlisted entries, chosen by a panel of judges, were put on our website for members of the public to vote for their winner.

Ciara Moore came along with her proud parents, Danny and Marie, and her little brother, Billy, four, to collect her Beales voucher and certificate.

Mum, Marie, said: “Ciara’s interpretation of Christmas in Bournemouth involved a beach hut on the beach, with the waves and the sand.

“She knows that people normally decorate their houses at Christmas and so she drew a decorated beach hut, with stars on it, instead.”