ONCE again it's time for the moment you've all been waiting for - the announcement of this year's Worcester News Baby of the Year.

The lucky winner this year is 26-month-old Ada Unwin from Astley, near Stourport, who also won the 19-36 month age group.

Yesterday, proud parents Lucy and Jim Unwin brought Ada to the Worcester News in Hylton Road to be awarded the coveted title, the Worcester News salver and a bouquet.

Mrs Unwin said: "We're absolutely delighted. It's a real surprise to have won like this. We only entered the competition on the spur of the moment, when we passed where they were taking pictures, so it's great to have won."

Winning the 10-18 month category was 16-month-old Colby Roberts, of Blackpole, Worcester. Mum Tamara Ellis said: "It's really great. We entered last year's competition and made it to the top ten, so it's fantastic to win this year.

And in the 0-9-month category, Isla Bateman from Warndon in Worcester emerged as the winner.

Mum Laura Bateman said: "We've entered the competition several times since 2005 - we've got five kids and a sixth on the way. We were in last year's top ten, so winning the category this time is really great."

The winners of the awards were chosen by a panel of judges including Sara Matthews from CrownGate shopping centre, Worcester News promotions manager Sarah Bevan and Worcester News editor Peter John, who presented the awards.

Mr John said: "We had over 200 entries for this year's competition and over 5,500 of our readers voted. Choosing a winner of the Baby of the Year competition is genuinely one of the hardest parts of my job, but the Worcester News is a community paper and this competition is one of the most popular things we do.

"I mustn't forget to thank Fraser Portraits for taking the pictures of all the contestants."

All the winners were presented with framed portraits taken by Fraser Portraits, plus a CD of images from the phono sessions.