A FORMER Miss Western Telegraph is one of the finalists in the Miss Wales competition.

Carys Thomas, aged 23, spent four years of her childhood in St Davids, where her father David worked for the HSBC bank and was also treasurer of the golf club.

She is competing against 29 other contestants, one of whom is Georgina Cornock, a 24-year-old animal health inspector and professional harpist from Fishguard, who was featured in the Western Telegraph two weeks ago.

Carys and her sister Catrin, aged 26, attended St Davids Church in Wales School. The family now lives at 5 Kestrel Close, Leiros Parc, Rhyddings, Neath.

Carys went on to university in Swansea, where she took a business degree and now works for the HSBC bank in Port Talbot.

It is not the first time that she has entered the Miss Wales competition.

She made her first bid when she was 15, but even before that she had the beauty queen bug. Her mother Christine recalls dressing Carys up as Miss Western Telegraph for a carnival in St Davids.

"She was only three then. We had a very happy time in Pembrokeshire," she recalled.

All the contestants have to raise money for charity and Carys has organised several fundraising activities, including a bike ride, and is also looking for sponsors.

The Miss Wales entrants can be viewed on www.misswales.co.uk and there is a phone-in-vote.