I'M NOT sure what the politics were behind the selection of the winner of the Miss Durham competition at Sedgefield racecourse (Echo, May 25), but the Echo's statement that it was surrounded by controversy was an understatement, to say the least.

The winner was never in the final 20, leaving voters wondering why they had bothered to waste their money.

A significant number of audience members were shocked that some of the prettiest girls in the competition didn't even make the final ten, and there was outrage towards the end of the evening.

It's unfortunate that so many people wasted £14 pounds on tickets (at an event where, it should be noted, they couldn't even find a seat throughout the night) for a competition that seems to have been decided before it had begun.

Jade Turnbull, Darlington.