ONE Worcestershire woman and her dog have become the faces of this year's Crufts championships.

Gemma Bettis and her Sealyham terrier, Deri, are pictured on the front of leaflets and posters promoting the world's most famous dog show.

It takes place at Birmingham's NEC in March and the 20-year-old former Bewdley High School pupil said she was surprised to find herself and her championship winning dog on the promotional literature.

Picture

"I didn't know the picture had been taken," she explained.

"The Kennel Club sent it through and just asked if they could use it but we didn't realise how.

"They have released big, A3-size posters and it has been in magazines and newspapers and it's gone all the way around the world."

The photograph was taken during last year's Crufts championships.

Her new-found fame has prompted friends to ring up.

"I had a few phone calls saying congratulations," said the trainee hairdresser, who lives in Rock, near Kidderminster.

As last year's winner of the terrier stakes, Deri - full kennel name Ornella Dizzi Deri - is automatically entered in this year's event, which runs from Thursday, March 10 until Sunday, March 13.

It is a family affair for the Bettises, of Pound Lane.

Gemma's mother and father, Denise and Len, have been showing dogs for 27 years, while her sister and brother, Joanne, 16, and Adrian, 21, also compete.

Gemma has been involved for most of her life, having been showing dogs since she was three.

She has six dogs in this year's Crufts.

Deri will be helping to publicise his breed during Crufts.

"He is going to be on a stand there called Discover Dogs, where the general public will be able to see what the dogs are like," said Gemma.

"He is on the list of vulnerable breeds because there are not many about.

"It's good for the breed because it's promoting them."