Child of the Year 2004

We are looking for the Echo's Child of the Year 2004 in a free, fun portrait contest.

And there are some fantastic prizes worth £500 up for grabs.

The Echo has linked with leading child photographers Fraser Portraits for the exciting competition which begins on Monday.

Last year we had hundreds of entries - and thousands of readers voted for their favourites so there is sure to be a great deal of interest.

There are, as usual, four categories in which to enter, ranging from the tiniest babies to youngsters aged up to 12.

The categories are:

Most appealing portrait of a baby aged up to 12 months.

Most appealing portrait of a boy aged 13 months to five years.

Most appealing portrait of a girl aged 13 months to five years.

Most appealing portrait of a child, or a combination of brothers, sisters or both from six to 12 years old.

Our winner will not only collect a trophy, but also a magnificent 20-inch by 16-inch framed print of the winning picture and £100 in Woolworths vouchers.

And there are prizes for the three category winners. They will each receive a trophy and a framed 14-inch by 11-inch copy of their portrait and £75 in Woolworths vouchers.

We have portrait photographers out in two venues next week. Mini studios are being set up in the Woolworths stores in Weymouth town centre and in South Street, Dorchester.

In Weymouth you can have your pictures taken from 9am-5pm from Monday, November 8 to Saturday, November 13.

In Dorchester you can have your pictures taken from 9am-5pm from Wednesday, November 10 to Saturday, November 13.

Three different poses of each child will be taken so there is plenty of opportunity for your child to shine. You may want to dress them up or bring a favourite teddy to show how appealing they really can be.

Every child has his or her own special character and that is what the judges will be looking for.

The photographer will tell you where and when you will have to return to see the portrait and how to enter the photograph into the competition.

These viewings will be in Weymouth on Monday, November 22 and Tuesday, November 23 and in Dorchester on Tuesday, November 23 (both 9am to 5pm). You must go back to the venue at which your portrait was taken.

It could not be simpler to enter the competition if you think your child has what it takes to be our number one. All you have to do is cut out the entry voucher printed on this page, take it to one of the locations and present it to the photographer.

The competition is free to enter, although you will need one of the small-sized pictures with which to enter; this is not returnable. There is no sitting fee and no obligation to buy any photographs in order to enter your child's picture into the competition.

However, with Christmas fast approaching the photographs could make truly memorable presents for friends and family.

Once the competition has closed and all parents have entered their child's official portrait, all pictures will be published by the Echo on a date to be announced and readers will be asked to vote for their favourites.

From your votes, a shortlist will be selected, and a panel of judges, including Echo deputy editor Cliff Moore, Fraser Portraits boss Roy Fraser and the managers of the Woolworths Stores in Weymouth and Dorchester, will judge the winners.