A WIRRAL woman has been crowned beauty therapist of the year at a prestigious industry awards in London. 

Louise Birch, 32, from Wallasey entered the British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (BABTAC) annual awards in January along with her colleagues.

Now living on the Isle of Man Louise trained at Wirral Metropolitan College’s Conway Park campus.

To enter the awards Louise had to film herself performing her best beauty treatments on customers, this was then shown to a panel of judges who put her through to the semi-finals.

She then travelled to Gloucester to work in front of the judges who then put her through to the finals in which a total of 17 awards were up for grabs.

In its 40th year the BABTAC award hosted a gala event designed to celebrate four decades of the beauty industry and a look to the future.

Louise told the Globe: “Me and my colleagues were invited along to the semi-finals in April at the BABTAC headquarters on Gloucester.

“Everyone carried out treatments and answered questions for an examiner.

“We were all lucky enough to be announced as finalists.

“My colleague Gillian Goss won waxing therapist of the year and I won beauty therapist of the year.

“We are both feeling very humble to have been chosen and it is still sinking in.

“It is really fantastic to have been recognised after all the hard work and effort we put in by such an important part of the beauty industry.”