A UNIVERSITY student from Bromsgrove has been picked to represent Worcester at a national beauty pageant for plus-size models.

Rebecca Farthing, 23, who studies at the city's university, will compete at the Miss British Beauty Curve 2017 contest this summer, after being named 'Miss Worcester Curve' last year.

She entered the competition on the recommendation of a friend and will now compete alongside women from around the country.

"I'm a bit nervous about it - a bit apprehensive," said Rebecca. "It is the first time I have done one.

"Before meeting people who have been doing it for years, I never really had the self-confidence to do it. It just proves that if you have a little bit of self-confidence you can do it."

Rebecca is juggling preparing for finals in her third year of archaeology and heritage studies, with organising her wedding in June.

But the young model says she is looking forward to championing the message that women can be beautiful at any size.

She said: "We have beauty pageants who are a size six or eight, so why shouldn't we have them for larger women? We like fashion too, we like to look good, we like to wear nice clothes. It should all just be the same.

"It is nice just to see different kinds of women portrayed in the media. There is nothing wrong with being a size eight but there are other types of women as well and we can be beautiful being a size 20 or 22."

As part of her preparations for the contest, Rebecca is organising a charity bake sale for Cancer Research UK.

The sale will take place from 9.15am on Monday, January 16 at the Worcester Students' Union in Henwick Grove.

Rebecca is also taking part in a 5K superhero-themed funrun in London and an anti-bullying campaign.

The finals of Miss British Beauty Curve take place in Kent on Saturday, August 5.

For more information about the competition visit missbritishbeautycurve.com.