THE finalists for a revived beauty contest will be decided tonight.

Organisers of the Miss Durham competition have received almost 60 entries for the beauty pageant, the final of which will be held at Sedgefield Racecourse next week.

The entrants have been invited to the racecourse this evening, where judges will select 20 finalists.

Jim Allen, general manager at the course, said the competition had captured the imagination and was as good as the Miss Nottingham competition, which he modelled the event on.

He said: "This is the first year we have done it and I am delighted to say that the quality and calibre of the entrants is as good as Miss Nottingham, if not better."

The winner of Miss Durham will receive more than £5,000-worth of prizes and entry to the Miss England competition.

A BBC television crew will be at the venue this evening and will follow the progress of the winner for a documentary on the resurgence of beauty contests, to be screened later this year.

The final, sponsored by Betfred.com, will be at the racecourse on Tuesday, May 25, as part of the ladies' night meeting.

Contestants will parade in their choice of outfit for a day at the races, their favourite football strip and their preferred nightclub wear.

Each contestant will have a sponsor, which include local racehorse trainers.

Each contestant will also take part in an interview to help the judges assess their personalities.

People can vote for their favourite through a text vote, the result of which will count as one judge's choice.

The Northern Echo will publish photographs and details of the finalists before the final on Tuesday, May 25.