The Nottingham Evening Post has enjoyed a sales boost thanks to its most popular Baby of the Year competition ever.

This year the contest attracted 2,600 entries from children under the age of three, with the number of votes topping 100,000.

And interest generated by the competition resulted in an eight per cent week on week increase on base level sales during the two weeks that voting forms were published in the paper.

After capturing 2,600 beautiful babies on film, the Evening Post published a special supplement showing all the entrants, followed by voting forms which readers were asked to fill in and return.

Circulation sales manager Gary Grimes said: "The competition attracted phenomenal interest and we had 400 more entrants this year.

"The supplement created a considerable increase in sales and when the voting procedure began the main increase in sales was generated.

"The competition was very well promoted in-paper and for the first time we also sent out mail-shots to last year's participants, which I think helped boost the number of entries."

So many votes were cast this year that a recount was needed - overseen by an independent auditor - before a winner could be declared.