A TEENAGER has been honoured internationally after taking part in an acclaimed pageant.

Alisha Lax of Byers Green, near Spennymoor, was ecstatic after she was named the winner of the Junior Teen International Crown Pageant in Spain earlier this month.

The 13-year-old secured the crown – which stands at over a foot tall – after three years of hard work.

Her mother, Lorraine Lax said: “Words can’t explain how incredibly proud I am of her, she has worked her little heart out.

“Alisha was absolutely ecstatic after she was crowned, the title is the highest you can get.

“All the girls look up to her even the older ones – she’s a role model.”

The Miss Belle international pageant saw competitive rounds including a fashion event where competitors were judged in front of the audience and an evening round where they selected an outfit of their own choice to be marked on.

The youngster started competing in Miss Belle pageants in October 2016, when she was awarded an ambassador crown for her dedication to the contest and fundraising efforts.

She then went on to win Miss Belle Supreme in August 2017, where she achieved the second highest score of the day. The pageants allowed her to progress on to the international stage and she was selected to enter the Spanish contest.

Alisha has made more than 100 pageant appearances and raised more than £4,000 for various charities in the hopes of becoming a role model to other aspiring pageant stars.

She has supported charities including Ronald McDonald House, in Alder Hey, Liverpool, as she feels passionate about the cause.

The house is a short walk away from Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and provides free accommodation to family members of young patients.

Alisha's fundraising efforts have included an abseil down Peel Monument near Manchester, and a mile-long zip line.

The teenager first caught the pageant bug more than four years ago when she took part in Miss Durham in 2015, and has never looked back.

She is now preparing to take on her duties as an international pageant queen.