WHILE many Nottingham babies will be content spending time in January playing with their new Christmas toys, ten-month-old Lucas Southam will be hard at work.

As the face of Next babywear, he will be perfecting his smile for the cameras as he models their clothing range.

Lucas beat around 100,000 other babies to win his contract with the firm.

As well as modelling Next clothes, he has a contract with Urban Angels child modelling agency and will be featured by Prima baby magazine.

His parents, Jo-Ann Jukes and Tom Southam, of Wilford, are delighted.

"We are so proud of him," said Miss Jukes, 23. "He's a really happy, cheeky boy, who loves a bit of attention."

Lucas's parents entered him into the competition for babies up to 18 months old at Next in October.

After about four million votes were cast by the public, Lucas was one of 24 babies invited to a photo shoot in London earlier this month.

He was selected by judges from Next, Urban Angels and Prima.

And his next job is another trip to the capital for a photoshoot for Next's baby catalogue, stores and website.

"He is really at home with the camera," said Miss Jukes. "They were looking for how babies interact with others and Lucas was very good. He had a great time. They were very impressed with him.

"We were there for a couple of days at the photoshoot. They announced the winners at the end. We were shocked but delighted as well.

"He's going to have a few photoshoots coming up, including the Next one in London in January.

"Hopefully, through this we'll be able to save up a few pennies for his trust fund, too."

Along with the modelling deals, the winners were also given £500 in Next vouchers and were able to keep the clothes they wore in the photoshoot.

"It will be great to show him all the pictures when he gets older," said Miss Jukes.

"He is such a happy baby. He never really cries. He is very relaxed and that is the persona the judges seemed to be impressed with."