A GWENT town lost its carnival queen to the Miss UK competition.

Pontypool student Emma Corten was chosen as the town's carnival queen this year, but that was before she made it to the finals of Miss UK.

The glitzy event clashes with the carnival on July 16 so Miss Corten, who has also made it to the final of Miss Wales, had to pull out.

Organisers have asked a runner-up, Victoria Lewis, aged 18, from Pontnewynydd, to be the town's queen instead.

Emma, 17, of Blaendare Road, is a student at Pontypool's Coleg Gwent campus.

She said: "I am surprised that I have got this far, but I am really happy. It's difficult to say what my chances of winning are because I have met the 29 other girls and they all seem really nice."