TWO dads have taken pride of place at the National Portrait Gallery in the run-up to Father’s Day.

Graham Thompson, from Bicester, and Neil Hyatt, from Witney, beat thousands in a competition after being nominated by their daughters to have their photographs displayed at the prestigious London gallery.

Online gift company PhotoBox had 2,038 nominations, and 12 dads were chosen to be celebrated at a Father’s Day event on June 11.

Laura Smith, 31, who entered her father Graham’s picture, titled Family Man, said: “My dad loves his family more than anything in the world.

“He always puts us first and would do anything for us. The picture is him with my daughter Olivia, who he dotes on. His loving, calm nature never fails to soothe her.

“My dad is a fantastic father and grandad and it was the perfect way to really show him how much we all care.”

In the run up to Father’s Day tomorrow the National Portrait Gallery staged the #IARTDAD event for families to come and see their pictures.

All winners had their photographs displayed for the day and were given a framed print of their favourite picture from PhotoBox to take home.

Ellie Hyatt, 21, nominated her adoptive father Neil, 53, entering a picture of him and his granddaughter Brooke Hyatt.

She said: “Neil is an incredible man”, adding that she believed he had saved her life and that of her brother by adopting them.

Mr Hyatt said: “I did not know she had put me forward for the competition so it was a complete and extremely pleasurable surprise.

“It makes me feel very proud of her.

“I am very pleased she got something out of it and that my picture along with my granddaughter has been hung in the National Portrait Gallery.”

Miss Hyatt added: “I entered the competition to show Neil that although we are not blood, blood really does not matter in this case. and he is more of a dad than anyone I know.

“[The event] was really good, it made us feel quite celeb-like.

“He was quite shocked we had won and we did not realise it would be quite so big.”

The event, which included a drinks reception and canapes, was also attended by TV personality Grace Woodward and artist Suzi Malin, who has nine paintings on show in the London gallery.

Pjhotobox UK managing director Robert May said: “All dads are different, with their own experiences, characters, charms and sometimes, bad habits too.

“We wanted to take the personal touch even further this year, giving winners the opportunity to show their dad just how special he is, by displaying him as a masterpiece at our private event at the National Portrait Gallery.”