Model miss

LIKE many four-year-old girls, Lauren Gregson loves dressing up and having her photo taken. But unlike most little girls, Lauren could soon be getting paid for doing what she loves best. She has just been signed up by a modelling agency, and, if successful, could be working with a wide range of clients from the BBC and leading newspapers and magazines to big name stores such as Woolworths, Toys R Us and McArthurGlen.

Mum Debbie, of Stockton-on-the Forest, says it was friends who first suggested that Lauren had what it took to make it in the world of child modelling.

"People were always saying how pretty she was and how she would make a lovely model.

"You always think your own are lovely, but so many people talked about Lauren that we thought: 'why not give it a go and see what happens?'"

Her first call was to York Trading Standards to get advice on what pitfalls she should look out for.

She was warned to be wary of any agency which insisted on spending hundreds of pounds up front on a portfolio or administration fees.

In the end, Debbie sent some family snaps of Lauren to Models Direct, which is listed in the Yellow Pages.

The agency, which is based in Norwich but covers the entire country, snapped up Lauren, and for a fee of £99 will keep her on the books for three years.

Debbie admits it is early days, but she is hopeful that Lauren will get to experience working in front of the lens.

"She loves being the centre of attention. She likes having her photo taken - every time a camera comes out, she always says: 'can I have a picture?' And she loves dressing up."

Fees for work start at around £10 an hour, but can be hundreds of pounds a day.

"It's not the money," Debbie insists. "I would just like her to go for it and have the opportunity. If she doesn't enjoy it I'm not one of those pushy mothers who would say: 'you've got to stick it out'."

While Debbie wishes Lauren success in the camera frame, her three older sons have already achieved a degree of good fortune with another sort of frame.

Kevin, 13, Steven, 11, and Lee, seven, are all snooker mad and have amassed a cupboard full of trophies between them.

All three play junior league snooker and Debbie and husband Stewart, who works for Walmgate Removals, spend every Sunday watching the boys play in Harrogate.

Steven also plays for the England under-14s team and has earned a reputation as one of the finest young players in the country. He would like to be a professional snooker player and Lee would like to follow suit.

Meanwhile, Kevin's other passion is flying. He has a lesson every quarter and dreams of being a pilot.

Debbie says she firmly believes in encouraging her children with their talents. The next project at the family home is to build an extension - when finances allow - to house a full-size snooker table so her sons can practise more.

"If they have a natural ability for something, they should do it. If they don't like it, then there's nothing lost.

"Some kids don't get the chance in life, so if there's something my kids want to do, I say: 'go for it'."

As a child, Debbie's passion was horses.

"For one birthday it was a choice between me getting a horse or my mum getting a new carpet. I got the horse," Debbie recalls.

She then reveals that Lauren has just had her first riding lesson, and enjoyed it very much.

Let's hope not too much... or the snooker-room extension may have to be put on hold while the family save up for Lauren's very own My Little Pony.