Hair, beauty and holistic therapy students went head-to-head with each other in a spectacular inter-college competition.

Students from South Cheshire College's Creative and Applied Arts faculty showcased their hair and beauty skills in the annual event in the College's Dane Bank Theatre.

The 2010 competition challenged students to test their skills in a race against the clock and was judged by some of the best local hair and beauty artists in the business.

Categories for this year's competition included an Open Hair category, a Catwalk Make-up competition and a Level 3 Pink and White Countries Themed event with individual and team prizes.

First, second and third year students at the Dane Bank Avenue campus all took part in the competition which attracted a large audience made up of friends and family of the competitors and the general public.

The event was organised by Anne Pickering and Tracy Dony from the hair and beauty department.

Many students worked all day in the run-up to the event to lay the foundations on their models before transforming them completely under competition conditions.

In the open hair category Katie Singleton landed first prize, Carrick Dykes, finished runner-up and Holly Pickering finished in third place.

Stylist Emma Serridge was the champion in the Catwalk Make-up competition, Rachel Hennessey finished runner-up and Clare Baldwin scooped third spot.

In the Countries Themed Level 3 white section competition Alison Harding won first prize, Luke Millington came second and Rebecca Enfield finished third, while in the Level 3 pink section Sammy Jo Shenton landed first prize, while second and third went to Tracey Holdcroft and Clare Parry respectively.

In the team competition, which saw models grouped together from the pink and white categories, the American team won first prize, Moulin Rouge finished second and Ibiza landed third spot.

There was also an overall creative award for the evening which went to Alison Harding, who won the Level 3 Countries Themed competition for styling her model Chantelle Iveson.

Tracy Dony, Hair and Beauty Technician, said: "The competition was a fantastic opportunity for students to demonstrate their skills in front of potential employers and give them experience of working under pressure."

Hair Judges for the event included Richard Beeston, who owns Richard Joseph hair salon in Crewe, former hair lecturer and tricologist Julie Farrow and salon owner and tricologist Harry Callagham.

Beauty judges who helped to pick the winning competitors included Lynsey Whitehead, salon owner of Prestige in Crewe and Elaine Rudduck, an external verifier and a salon and training school owner.

Tracy added: "All the hair and beauty staff put a lot of effort into organising the event and this turned out to be the best ever with some amazing hair and make-up styles and ideas.

"We would like to say a big thank-you to all the judges who came along to support this fantastic event."

Students from the different categories will go forward to represent the College in the North West hairdressing final in Blackpool in March.

View more photos on the College's Facebook pages.