A STOURBRIDGE student is on course to become a teen catwalk queen after making it through to the finals of a nationwide model search.

Striking Stacey Williams, aged 18, who is studying at Stourbridge College, has beat off competition to secure a place in the live runway shows of the Top Model UK competition.

The competition stretches over an eight-month period and culminates in a weekend of top professional runway shows - which will be held in London from April 12 to 14.

Stacey, a former pupil at Edgecliff High School in Kinver, said: “I’m really excited about it.”

Previous winners of the competition have gone on to walk in major professional shows, enjoy photo shoots with top designers and scoop an array of fashion-related prizes and opportunities.

Stacey, from Swindon near Dudley, who is training to become an early years teacher, has already enjoyed a taste of modelling success - in 2011 she was named Miss Teen Staffordshire and was a finalist in the first-ever Miss Teen GB beauty contest for 14 to 18-year-olds.

The teenager is now urging News readers to help further her model ambition and raise charity cash for Children with Cancer UK by voting for her in the Top Model UK online poll on www.topmodeluk.com