THE 2014 Miss Hampshire Beauty Pageant hit the national headlines this week after one of the contestants expressed outrage at losing out to a Londoner.

Michaela Carter, 19, from Hythe near Southampton, says the rule allowing women living within a 50-mile radius to enter the Hampshire contest should be scrapped.

The organisers say that would exclude those who live in a county that does not have a qualifying heat for Miss England.

The row erupted just days after Charlotte Giles (22), from Twickenham, Middlesex, claimed the Miss Hampshire 2014 title at a glittering awards ceremony in Alton.

For full story, see this week's Alton Herald.