CONGRATULATIONS to the winner of this year's Tiny Tots 2005 competition.

Oliver Irving must have stuck in reader's minds because he was among the first entries in the Macclesfield Express contest which began back in February.

Little bundle of joy Oliver was just nine-months-old when he was featured after a chance visit to McDonald's with his mother Maria.

And the bonny baby, now 15-months-old with a head of bouncy blond curls, proves why he had the winning credentials making hoards of readers vote for him to win.

Proud parents Maria, 34 and Daniel, 34, of Cedar Way, Bollington, were overjoyed to find out their tot had been voted the winner out of hundreds of other tiny hopefuls.

The family have won £100 worth of Marks and Spencer vouchers, a Tiny Tots 2005 trophy and a framed colour portrait by Wilmslow photographer John Wood, who took all the pictures through the Tiny Tots competition.

Maria, who works part time as a supervisor at the Hollin Hall Hotel in Bollington, said: "Oliver was the first ever contestant featured in the first round of entries in this year's competition.

"I was sitting in McDonald's with a friend when I asked what was going on upstairs after seeing lots of other babies having their pictures taken. I was told it was for the Tiny Tots competition in the Macclesfield Express.

"I looked at Oliver but he was sound asleep in his pram. So I thought it was no use having his picture taken.

"But then, with about ten minutes to spare on my parking ticket, he woke up. So I raced upstairs and got his picture taken quickly. It's absolutely brilliant to win and we are over-the-moon."

But the doting mum always believed her Oliver was going to be crowned winner.

"I believe he is the most beautiful child, but all mothers do don't they?

"He is a very determined and strong-minded little boy and takes after his mum.

"Every week I looked at the competition in the paper and there were some very beautiful babies entered," she admitted.

Oliver is the couple's first child and was born in Macclesfield Hospital after what his mum described as quite an easy birth.

Maria and Daniel met at the Hollin Hall Hotel, where Daniel is head chef, and married 18 months ago.

This is first time Oliver has been entered in a competition, but now he has one win already under his belt, Maria says she might think about entering him in more. The vouchers will be spent on clothes for Oliver.

  • BIG congratulations to Tiny Tots runners-up Nicole Bowers, from Macclesfield, and Maximilian Hallam, from Poynton, who also receive framed portraits.