PHOTOGENIC tots will soon be vying for the title of Evening Advertiser Baby of the Year 2002.

The annual competition begins on October 28 and will be sponsored this time around by children's clothing store Pumpkin Patch, which has a branch in Canal Walk.

Proud parents will be able to take their youngsters along to the Swindon branch of the shop from that date for a week, where professional photographers from BCR Photographic will be on hand to take portraits free of charge to be entered into the competition.

Photos will be taken until November 3, when the competition closes. All children living in the Swindon area aged up to 36 months can enter.

Pictures of all the babies taking part will be featured in a special Evening Advertiser supplement which will be published in November.

All photographs must be accompanied by the official entry form, which will be published in the paper at a later date.

There are three categories in the competition newborn to nine months, 10 to 18 months and 19 to 36 months.

It will be left to our readers to vote for one winner and two runners up in each category.

Then one bonny baby will become the overall winner.

The main prize is a life-size canvas portrait of your child and £40 worth of Pumpkin Patch clothes.

Runners up will receive framed pictures of their babies.

Last year's winner was Lauren Henley, of Gorse Hill, who also scooped the title in 2000.

To enter your baby, simply fill in the official coupon which will be printed from October 21 every night for two weeks.

There is no charge.