A TRAINED beauty therapist who now works as a spot welder at the Stratton factory of Swindon Pressings is the Evening Advertiser's new Bride of the Year.

Clare Murtough, 23, who will marry 22-year-old Matthew King next year, says she loves the atmosphere and the comradeship which exist in an engineering factory.

And her fellow workers clearly think the world of her.

"I got a call from the Advertiser at about 10.30am to say I had won the competition and by lunch time I had already had a congratulations card from my workmates," she said.

Clare, who went to Headlands School and trained in the beauty school at North Star College, still does manicures, eyebrow shaping and leg waxing in her spare time.

Matt works as a joiner at garden furniture makers Rain or Shine at South Marston. They were introduced five years ago by friends and fell for each other almost as soon as they met. "I think they were trying to get us together anyway," said Clare.

But the relationship almost fell at the first hurdle.

"The next day we arranged to go to Chessington World of Adventure," said Matt. "I picked Clare up at 6.30am so we could be there by the time it opened, and we were hardly out of Swindon when my car broke down. The engine just blew up."

They spent that evening at a nightclub in Swindon, and six weeks later they were in a steady relationship with the approval of both sets of parents. "My mum and dad Angie and Shawn aren't together any more but they are still really good friends and we all get on with each other really well," said Clare.

The couple became engaged when both were still 19 on the day Clare's niece Sophie Murtough was born. Little Sophie, who is now three, will be a bridesmaid at their wedding, together with Matt's five-year-old niece who is also named Sophie.

For his family, there is nothing unusual about marrying young. His sister was wed by the time she was 19. His mother and father Butch and Gill, who live at Stratton, and his two brothers were also young when they got married.

"In fact it was Matt's mum who encouraged me to enter the Bride of the Year competition," Clare said.

"I sent for the application form for last year's competition but never filled it in. My grandmother had just died and we had so much decorating to do to our house and I just didn't get around to it."

They have now bought the house at Penhill where Clare's grandma lived. They have ripped out ceilings and replaced them, put in coving, turned bathroom and separate loo into one large bathroom and are also revolutionising their garden.

She said she was staggered when told she had won. "We are both really excited." They both want children Clare would like four but believe marriage should come first. They are now excitedly talking to Steve Golding of the Goddard Arms Hotel about holding their wedding ceremony there, as well as the reception which is among prizes worth £6,500 that go with the Adver's 2002 Bride of the Year title. Neither has any doubts about having chosen the right partner.

Matt loves Clare for her outspoken, determined personality and her sparkling sense of humour as well as her face and curvy size 12 figure.

She fell for him because he is romantic, loyal and funny. "He is always making me laugh," she said.

"In fact I just love everything about him. Even his feet."

Steve Golding, who chaired the panel of judges, said: "All six couples who were finalists were lovely, but Clare and Matthew just stood out. Their relationship is obviously so strong."