ALMOST a year since Joshua Smith was rescued from his flooded house he has been named Worcester News Baby of the Year.

The 17-month-old toddler was crowned overall winner in the award ceremony at the Worcester News offices in Hylton Road yesterday.

Joshua also won the 10-18 month category.

He was presented with a 20in x 16in portrait of himself while mum Larissa Smith won a bouquet of flowers.

In July, Miss Smith was living with her mother in Beauchamp Lane, Callow End, near Worcester, when flash floods struck the bungalow.

Joshua was just six months old and the family was forced to live in a bungalow while the house was re-built.

"It was really hard work, we lost everything including Joshua's baby photos," said 17-year-old Miss Smith.

The single mum, who is now living in King Charles Place, St John's, Worcester, could not believe it when Joshua's name was announced as the overall winner. "I am so proud of him," she said. "To me he is the cutest baby but I did not expect to win.

"It is the best day of my life."

There were also winners in other categories, with nine-month-old Krystal Wilson winning the 0-9 month category, and two-year-old Faith Hartland winning the 19-36 month category.

Krystal's mum Melissa Haines, 22, of Painswick Close, Warndon, Worcester, said: "It feels so good to win, I am really pleased. Everyone who approaches us always comments on her blue eyes.

"You could not ask for a better daughter, she has been good since the day she was born."

Faith's mum Elaine Grant, 22, of Cranham Drive, Warndon, Worcester, said: "I am really proud. She was a runner up in last year's competition, and she seems really pleased she has won."

Her dad, Jason Hartland, 24, said: "I always said it does not matter if she won or not because she has won my heart."

A record 26,500 votes were made in this year's competition, and 535 babies entered.

All three winners were chosen by a panel of judges, including your Worcester News editor Kevin Ward and John Kendrick, manager of the Cathedral Plaza shopping centre.

Mr Ward said: "We had the difficult task of coming up with the winners and the overall winner and that was not easy."