A Miss England hopeful says being bullied as a child pushed her to give one of the biggest beauty pageants in the country a chance.

Anusha Sareen from Edgware, was crowned Miss Middlesex in May and now hopes to claim the Miss England crown.

Raising money for Beauty with a Purpose, the official charity of the Miss World Organisation, she hopes the title could help her make a difference to peoples lives.

The 26-year-old discussed her reasons for entering the competition, saying: “When I was young, I had to deal with a lot of bullying and I built this shell around me.

“With the support of my friends, family and getting into performing arts, I managed to break that shell.

“The reason for me to go for this competition is because I wanted to help people and give people the same motivation i had.

"The title of Miss England gives you the platform to do that."

A Biomedical Science graduate from Aston University, Anusha became an entrepreneur in 2015, opening a cafe called MangoBean in Aldershot.

Anusha also raised concerns for children and young girls being led astray by poor role models.

She said: “I’m particularly worried about the next generation, who are being flooded with such unrealistic and edited role models.

“People tend to have a lot of misconceptions about the Miss England competition, they think it’s just about beauty, but it’s about a lot more.

“It’s about intelligence and charity, supporting a community and getting a community to support you.”

Beauty with a Purpose supports a variety of causes, helping children in poverty, education, and World Disaster Funds.

Anusha will raise the funds at a business networking event and film showing in John Keeble Hall, in Edgware on July 1st.

The winner of the Mr London competition is also expected to appear at the event.

The event will include over 28 businesses ranging from beauty, graphics, food and fashion.