TEENAGER Grace Noke became a victim of cyber bullying when she was just 12-years-old and making the transition from primary to middle school.

It left her feeling distressed and destroyed her confidence.

And it’s the reason why she agreed to join a modelling course run by Morton Gledhill The Fashion team

“It was to help my self-esteem,” says Grace, from Emley, who is 15 and a student at Shelley College.

“Now I feel more confident and I’m not afraid any more. It’s made a big difference.”

And as one of the three winners of the agency’s recent Model of the Year competition for newcomers to the industry, she may even have found a career.

Now signed to The Fashion Team, Grace will be continuing her training until she is 16 and can start looking for modelling work.

Unfortunately, Grace’s experience is not unusual. Bernadette said: “We get quite a lot of girls coming to us who have been bullied. It’s one of the reasons why I’m not a fan of FaceBook.

“One local girl came to us who had had a really terrible time and I am so thrilled that we were able to help her and she’s now doing things that she never would have 12 months ago.”

Modelling courses, she says, offer help with fashion, styling, make-up and deportment.

“Some girls who are shy and lacking in confidence won’t even make eye contact with you when you shake their hand. But they can get the confidence and feel so much better.”