Time is running out for the cutest tots in Burton and South Derbyshire to enter one of the area's most popular baby and toddler competitions.
Photography sessions for the Burton Mail Baby and Toddler of the Year competition are set to close on Saturday, October 14.
Participating children can have their picture taken in Coopers Square shopping centre, in the town centre, by photographer Andrea Powell between 9.30am and 4.30pm, today, Thursday, October 12, tomorrow, Friday, October 13, and Saturday, October 14.
The competition aims to find the cutest children in the area, and it is free to enter. Parents or guardians within the Burton Mail circulation area can enter their child as long as they are five or younger. All pictures will be published in a special supplement in the Burton Mail, which is planned for Tuesday, November 14.
Entries will be divided into four age categories, which are nought to nine months, 10 to 18 months, 19 to 35 months and three to five years old. The winner from each category will land £250, with the overall winner bagging an extra £500 and the coveted Baby of the Year 2017 title.
Joanne Thornley, a nursery nurse from Repton, has entered her 15-month-old son Harry Goodall into the competition.
The 37-year-old said: "I'm really looking forward to seeing him in the paper.
"He was really good when he was being photographed, he sat really nicely and he played nice when the photographer was bouncing a ball off my head!"
Burton Mail readers will vote for their favourite pictures, and the children with the most votes will all appear in a top 40 supplement. A judging panel will then decide the winners.
Voting can be done by using voting coupons in the Burton Mail newspaper, which will be published from Tuesday, November 14, 2017. Readers can vote as many times as they like, but can only vote once per coupon.
Editor of the Burton Mail Emma Turton said: "Here at the Burton Mail we look forward to Baby of the Year and, of course, it is hugely popular with our readers.
"We love to see all the beautiful pictures of the children. It's also a huge headache for our judging panel to pick the top 40, never mind the eventual winners!
"I'd like to wish everyone entering their lovely children and grandchildren the very best of luck."
The Burton Mail is published by Trinity Mirror and, as such, standard Trinity Mirror rules apply; see burtonmail.co.uk/rules for details. The winners will be announced early next year.
