Lancashire prison officer in Miss England semi-finals says inmates make 'inappropriate comments'

A glamorous prison officer will ditch her guard uniform and swap the exercise yard for the catwalk - as she bids to be crowned the next Miss England.

Melissa Butcher, 24, usually spends her days on the wings in boots and trousers dealing with burly inmates who 'sometimes make inappropriate comments'.

But she will now hang up her keys and handcuffs to don a ball gown and high heels when she takes to the stage as a beauty queen in the Miss England semi-finals.

Melissa entered the competition 'as sort of a joke' with a friend one evening and was stunned when she was selected as a wildcard for the semis.

She will now compete alongside more than 50 other girls at Viva Blackpool on April 7 next year for a place in the final.

Melissa has worked for HM Prison Service for two years at a Category-C jail in the north west of England she cannot disclose for security reasons.