THESE smiling faces are the winners of the Child of the Year 2005 awards, run by the Bury Times and sponsored by the Mill Gate Centre.

Four-year-old Molly Mills and five-month-old Makenzie Alisa Mackin came out tops in the competition which attracted more than 600 children.

Bury Times readers voted for their favourite children by text message, and almost 10,000 votes were cast altogether.

Molly was named as the winner in the category for children aged three to five-years-old, while Makenzie was named as Child of the Year in the under two-years-old category.

Makenzie's happy mum, Kelly Louise Mackin (17), of Collen Crescent, Brandlesholme, said: "I was proud of Makenzie when she was born, but I'm even more proud of her now. I thought someone was winding me up when they told me she had won, and I cried my eyes out. I was absolutely speechless.

"Makenzie loves all the attention, and I'll definitely enter her into the competition next year."

Molly's proud dad, Shane Mills (35), of Dundee Lane, Ramsbottom, said: "Molly loves having her photograph taken, and so it was her idea to enter the competition when we saw a photographer in the Mill Gate. We didn't really know what it was about.

"I was very surprised to find out that she had won, and Molly's really looking forward to going to Pontins. I've promised her we can spend the prize money on a big toy for her."

The winning children and their families were given the competition prizes at a presentation on Wednesday at the Mill Gate Centre.

They received £100 cash, a trophy, a framed portrait worth £250, and a large teddy.

They also won a seven-day holiday worth £600 at any Pontins holiday camp in the country. Representatives from the Mill Gate Centre, Bury Times, Pontins, and the Portrait Group were on hand to present the prizes to the parents of the winning children.

Colin Nichol, Mill Gate Centre manager, said: "It is very rewarding to sponsor this type of activity, and I am very pleased with how it went. It's nice to see such good support and involvement in the competition by all our shoppers."