SHE may only be 12-years-old but she packs a voice and talent as powerful as anyone twice her age.And now Katy Jones has been hailed as this year's Sunrise Talent Competition winner.

SHE may only be 12-years-old but she packs a voice and talent as powerful as anyone twice her age.

And now Katy Jones has been hailed as this year's Sunrise Talent Competition winner.

The youngster, who lives in Bury Close, Oulton Broad, got the vote just ahead of Belton songstress Charlotte Bullen, and Lowestoft singer Leon Lambert, in Sunday's final.

Held at the Hotel Victoria, in Kirkley Cliff Road, it featured a total of 13 hugely talented acts whose ages ranged from 11 to 23.

But it was Katy, who is a pupil at Cliff Park School, Gorleston, who narrowly got the judges verdict.

She picked up a silver salver from the Princes Trust and a �500 cheque for coming out tops while the two runners up also received a silver salver each and prize money worth �250 and �100 respectively.

Fourth placed Gold Rush, a four-piece song and dance group, won �50, and fifth placed Rob Houchen, �25 worth of vouchers from Morlings Music.

But none of the entrants, including Cathryn Daws who was unable to attend because of an illness, failed to come away with anything as they were presented with �10 vouchers, again from Morlings.

Speaking after being crowned the winner Katy said she was thrilled to have come out tops.

'I was so excited that I didn't go to bed until after midnight,' she said. 'It was brilliant and everyone taking part was so good. To win is fantastic.'

Katy, who started her singing and dancing when she was nine, had taken part in last year's contest winning one of the heats but not figuring in the final.

The youngster has a few credentials behind her playing Molly, in Annie, staged at the Marina Theatre, in Lowestoft, along with Jungle Book and Christmas Carol, also held at the theatre.

She is also a member of Potters Theatre School, at Hopton, and is planning to join the Kinza Ellis Dance School after the school half term break. Her ambition is to work on stage either at Potters or in the West End and the weekend accolade has certainly put her name in the spotlight.

And she also revealed that she had made plans with the prize money with �300 going towards a school trip to China next month, �50 to her mum Kathy, �20 for her brother Keiran, 13, who is off to South African to play cricket, and the rest into savings and a docking station.

Cindy Friday, the chairman of the judges, said it was difficult to pick a winner as there was so much talent and quality on show.

'It was tough, but we had to make a decision and Katy got the verdict,' she said.

Among the others taking part were Vicki Drake, Anna Ross, Lily Jane, One Member Short, the Bailey Brothers, Al Angela Barnal, Heidi Fletcher and Hollie Hacking.

And the contest, which has been run over the past four months, also raised �1,500 for the Princes Trust which was this year's beneficiary.

The cheque was presented to Matt McBrye, head of programmes for the trust, by The Journal's Carnival Queen Charlotte Barker.