A BUDDING stylist has won a hairdressing competition.

Claire Campbell, a trainee at Twisted hair salon in Victoria Road, scooped the prize at Swindon College where she is taking an NVQ in hairdressing.

The 25-year-old chose Venus the Roman Goddess of Love and Beauty as her theme, dressing up model Tracy Harding in a toga and restyling her hair into a heart-shaped bun with ringlets. Miss Campbell, of Hythe Road, Old Town, who has been working at the salon for six months and will finish college later this year, said: "I chose the Roman theme because lots of curls is quite contemporary at the moment.

"I also like the story and legend behind it.

"I had an hour and a half to do the whole thing and I utilised every second. I was really shocked to win because the standard was really high it was a dream come true."

Next month Miss Campbell will repeat the style for a college show and, along with her colleagues, she hopes to enter other competitions in the future.

Beverley Green, 34, who owns the salon, said: "We are really proud of her. I knew she could pull it off but she needs to believe in herself a bit more."