A GROUP of Gwent hospital scientists have ditched their white coats and almost bared all for the chance to star in a national advertising campaign.

The workmates from Nevill Hall Hospital, Abergavenny, have battled their way into the final of the search to find the next group of faces and bodies of Dove Firming.

Mandy Watkins, 33, Alison Hunt, 43, Stacey Wetherell, 22, and Dee Ripley, 25, who call themselves The Sexy Scientists, all work together, socialise together and even holiday together.

And it was their firm friendship and fun-loving attitude that caught the judges' eyes. Mandy Watkins said: "When we heard Dove was looking for groups of friends to star in the next ads, we jumped at the chance. "Although our jobs are very serious we have great fun at work just being together.

"We thought taking part in this competition would be a really good laugh, but we never thought we would get this far.

"Everyone at work has been really supportive - they think it's great." According to research, most British women think that models used in beauty advertising give an unrealistic representation of women.

In response Dove's Firming campaign uses ordinary women of different shapes and sizes, photographed in their underwear without being airbrushed or re-touched in any way.

Mandy Watkins said: "We were all a bit nervous about being photographed in our underwear, but it wasn't skimpy stuff, and we all supported each other and just had a laugh."

The local girls will now be judged against eight other finalists to find the next Dove 'real women' later this month. If they win, they will be photographed in their undies and their picture will feature on billboards from August 2004.

The girls will also walk away with £5,000 in prize money and will be treated to a VIP weekend in London.