THERE are only a few days to go before proud parents line up to have their babies photographed for the Evening News Baby of the Year 2005 competition.

The eleventh competition will be launched on Monday and organisers hope to smash last year's target of 526 entrants.

The prizes will be bigger and better this year and will include gifts for mum and colour portraits of the winners.

Parents Laura Harvey and Graham Lock, aged 23 and 24 respectively, were thrilled when their daughter Hannah won last year's 10-18 months category.

Mr Lock said it was the two-year-old's beaming smile that fought off the stiff competition.

"We were pleased and quite surprised when she won," said the assistant printer, of Hill Close in Pershore.

"I thought the picture did look nice in the paper and she had a good chance of winning. I think it was her smile that won it for her."

There will be three age categories - 0-9 months, 10-18 months and 19-36 months.

A winner and two runners up will be picked from each category and one of these will win the title of Baby of the Year 2005.

The entrants will be judged by a panel and readers - last year 25,000 of you voted!

It is easy to enter this free competition.

Go along to the old Phone Shack store, next to Acorn Cards near the CrownGate market in Angel Place, Worcester city centre, between Monday and Saturday March 5, from 10am to 5pm.

Professional photographers will be waiting to take pictures and you will be given a date to return and enter free of charge.