A CHEPSTOW 19-year-old has been crowned ‘Miss Monmouthshire’ at a Newport awards ceremony.

In her first time competing in the event, Zoe Scrimshaw said that she feels “incredibly lucky” to have won the title, having raised money for charity for disadvantaged children Beauty With a Purpose.

A second year law student at Swansea University who aspires to become a qualified solicitor, Zoe was one of 32 finalists from across Wales competing for the Miss Wales crown. She said: “My personal aspiration is to travel the world, and experience as much as I can in this life.

“This is my first time competing in Miss Wales and I feel incredibly lucky to have been chosen as a finalist.

“Miss Wales is so much more than just the final, it’s a life-changing experience which empowers women and builds confidence. It has helped inspire me to always try and better myself and I would recommend this experience to anyone considering it.”

Also competing for the crown was former Miss Monmouthshire Emma Davies from Magor, who placed in the top five in this year’s competition.

The overall Miss Wales crown was won by 23-year-old Hannah Williams from Pencoed.

The final, held at The Riverfront in Newport last Saturday, (8th April) involved three appearances on the stage including the patriotic Welshwear opener, a red dress catwalk, and the traditional evening wear parade.

All finalists also had one to one interviews with the panel of seven judges.

As well as the catwalk event, the contestants attended the Miss Wales Charity Ball the night before and took part in the Miss Wales Empowerment Day on Thursday to help them in their personal development and leadership skills.