A WESTBURY woman has been crowned the winner of Miss Lady Ink UK in a competition held at the Frome Tattoo Convention on February 20.

Dolly May, 24, of Church Street in Westbury, applied for the competition last year and competed with five other finalists on stage to win the award.

The annual pageant is organised by Nancy Norté Promotions and aims to recognise women who embrace their tattooed lifestyles in a unique way.

Miss May said: “It’s still a bit of a shock to be honest, I’m so thrilled to have won.

“I was so nervous when I was up on stage, I was shaking like a leaf. The compere was very good though and made me feel as comfortable as possible and my mum was there in support too.

“My friends have been saying they are now friends with a celebrity which makes me laugh.”

The competitors had to go through six rounds in the final, including a singing round, a costume round and a burlesque round, in which their tattoos had to be on show.

Miss May said that her 18 tattoos, including one that displays a passage from a poem she read at her grandma’s funeral, have helped her to overcome bullies and online trolls.

She added: “I used to get bullied quite badly, especially online. My confidence was at rock bottom and I never thought anyone could ever be proud of me.

“So I decided to get some tattoos to cover myself and I’m now the winner of a tattoo competition. My family and friends are really proud of me and I’m the most confident I have ever been.”

To enter next year’s competition or for more details, email nortepromotions@gmail.com.