A NORTH-EAST model is to become the face of a greyhound stadium despite being frightened of dogs.

Emma Nicholson, 25, from The Barnes, Stanley, County Durham, is fronting a campaign to promote Brough Park, in Newcastle, which is owned by William Hill.

She hit the headlines recently when her former boss named his racehorse Emma Tells Lies after she took him to an industrial tribunal for unfair dismissal.

She won the hearing and is expecting to receive a payout of £40,000 from businessman Nigel Gravett.

The former Miss Great Britain was sacked a month after telling her manager she was pregnant.

Yesterday, the mother-of-three, from Stanley, posed for pictures with a greyhound called Mooronespot.

She said: "It is really unusual for me to do something like this because I am frightened of dogs. They always come up to me and lick me and I don't like it. I am scared they are going to bite me. It's dead embarrassing.

"When I was walking him for the cameras I had too look away.

"He looked like he needed a good dinner - he was dead skinny."

The pictures will feature on corporate and promotional literature, as well as the web-site home page.

Sales and marketing manager at Brough Park Hylton Marrs said: "We are delighted Emma agreed to be the face of our campaign."