Three of Bucks’ cutest babies beat off tough competition from 126 other contestants to win the Bucks Free Press Little Stars competition.

Poppy Clinch, six months, Ava-Louise Marshall, 19 months, and Leila Drew, three-and-a-half years, all from High Wycombe, won in the 0-9 months, 10-36 months and 3-5 years categories respectively.

Members of the public voted for their favourites in each category by phone, text and posting the official coupons in Bucks Free Press when the competition launched last month.

Poppy’s mum Kirstie Harris, 24, said: “I can’t believe it! She has never won anything like this before. We think she is a beautiful baby, of course, but we were not expecting her to win as so many other parents had entered their little ones.

“My family encouraged us to enter her into the competition and I thought why not?”

Ava’s mum Natalie Jackson, 22, said she was inspired to enter her daughter into the competition after her niece Renèe Labelle, eight, also won it around seven years ago, adding: “Ava winning has made me feel very proud and so happy.

“I saw the photographer in town when I walked through and thought it would be nice to give it a go in hope she would follow her big cousin.

“Thank you to everyone that helped Ava win this competition and a very well done to all the other children in the competition.”

All the entrants had their pictures taken by a professional photographer at the Chilterns shopping centre in High Wycombe.

According to Leila’s mum Stefanie Drew, 28, Leila often attracts attention when they go out, so when Stefanie was approached by the photographer to enter, she did not think anything of it.

She said: “We are extremely proud of Leila anyway as she is the sweetest, happiest little girl.

“We are delighted that she has won in her category and that the public feels the same way as us. We do not have a lot of family in the area so we weren’t expecting her to win.

“We want to say a very big thank you to everyone that voted for Leila.”

It is the first time that all three winners have entered this style of competition.