by Sarah Wilson

Teenager Sofie Stroud has been chosen as this year’s Miss Dover after being a princess in 2009.

Sofie, 16, who is a pupil at Dover Grammar School for Girls, won the title at the Dover Carnival Association Limited selection night at the Town Hall on Sunday, April 25.

Senior princesses are Carris Ffrench, 13, who was a junior princess last year and Jordan Sehmbi, 14, who was Junior Miss Dover in 2008.

The new Junior Miss Dover is Keely Russel, aged 12, who was also a junior princess last year.

Junior princesses are Jorja Sehmbi, nine, and 12-year-old Ellen Habbershaw, who goes to Astor College.

Completing the court is the youngest member seven-year-old April Winter Phelan who became the 2010 Rosebud.

Mandie Sehmbi, chairman of DCAL, described the selection as “an extremely emotional night as we said a fond farewell to the girls of 2009”.

She said: “It is so nice to welcome the court of 2010 I am sure they will be superb ambassadors for Dover.”

During the past year, the DCAL court have been raising money for 11-year-old Hayley Okines, who suffers from the rare condition progeria which means she ages much faster than anyone else.

She was made an honorary princess last year, but stood down with the rest of the court on Sunday.