MUMS entered in the Oxford Mail’s Draw Mummy competition have spoken of their delight at finding out their daughters had won.

Ali Clarke, of South Avenue, Abingdon, said she only discovered her six-year-old daughter Annie had entered when she saw her drawing in the paper.

She said: “The teacher had the paper with all the drawings in and she showed us.

“Annie isn’t very good at keeping secrets, but she kept this very quiet.

“The drawing is very good and you can see how much she’s improved since last year.

“She really enjoys art, she’s drawing all the time. “

Annie, a pupil at Abingdon’s St Edmund's Catholic Primary School, said: “Art is my favourite subject.

“I like drawing flowers the best, but I liked seeing my picture in the paper.”

Michelle Bullock, from Didcot, only discovered her daughter Ashleigh had won when the 10-year-old mentioned it in passing.

Ms Bullock said: “She said ‘oh my drawing was in the paper today’, so we looked it up and found it.

“I didn’t even know she had entered, but it was such a lovely surprise.“ Primary schools across the county were invited to take part in the competition and the entries were printed in a special pullout supplement in the paper.

People were then asked to vote for their favourite of the 500 entries by texting or calling, with winners picked in two age groups — four- to seven-year-olds and eight- to 11- year-olds.

Both Ashleigh and Annie won a makeover photography session for their mothers, complete with a complimentary print and a mug with their winning design on.

They also won a photo frame and mug to decorate, courtesy of Roy Pagett Photography, Littlemore. Each winner will also receive a family ticket to Gulliver’s Theme Parks.

Mrs Clarke said: “Annie is really looking forward to going to the theme park.

“I think we will probably use the makeover and photo voucher to have a whole family portrait done and then we can all enjoy it.

“We’re very proud of her. It has been a lovely surprise.”

awilliams@oxfordmail.co.uk