A TEENAGER who dreams of becoming a top model has appealed for help to reach her goal.

Sophie Wiesztort, 16, has got through to the heats of beauty pageant Miss Teen Queen UK and she now needs to secure enough votes to get her through to the final in August next year.

The beauty student, of Madeley Park, Witney, said: “I have been looking to do something like this for I don’t know how long.

“It’s really exciting for me. It would be the start of a dream.”

The winner of the competition — for girls aged between 16 and 19 — will have a professional portfolio created and be introduced to a modelling agency.

Miss Wieszort left Wood Green School, in Woodstock Road, this summer with nine GCSEs and is now studying at Oxford International College of Beauty, in Witney.

She added: “I found the advert for the competition through a friend and they just said ‘go for it’. I didn’t expect to get this far.

“It would be nice to get local people involved and would be nice to get someone from Oxfordshire through the competition.

“I was really excited doing the photoshoot as that was my dream, but to get through to this stage is really great as there are a lot of girls.”

Mum Wendy Hampton, a salsa instructor, has emailed friends and family, appealing for votes. She has also put up flyers around Witney with her daughter’s face on it.

Ms Hampton, 48, said: “Sophie has always had this dream to be going into this kind of thing – she really wants to get a modelling contract.

“It’s quite a hard industry to get into.

I just want to get Sophie support as she is a lovely girl.”

Oxfordshire girls Devon Bonner-Smith, from Wood Green, Witney, and Anna Phillips from Cowley, Oxford – both 16 – reached the heat stage in a Teen Queen UK competition earlier this year, but failed to pick up the top prize.

You can vote for Sophie until next Wednesday. Either vote for her online at missteenqueenuk.com, or text 84205 and write Miss Wiesztort in the message