A FORDINGBRIDGE teenager impressed judges with her striking image of a lizard on a Scottish clifftop.

Caitlin Madgwick was awarded the runner-up prize in the 16 to 18 mobile phone and Devices category of the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards 2019.

The 17-year-old’s photograph beat off fierce competition from more than 6,500 photographs to be awarded the prize.

Caitlin said: “I’m so happy that the judges liked my photo.

“On a trip to Loch Assynt in the Scottish Highlands last July, I was walking from the lighthouse around the headland at the Old Man of Stoer when my eye was caught by this little scuttling fella on the side of the cliff path. I had just enough time to stealthily snap a photo before it scuttled away into the grass. ”

Attracting a record 6,595 entries from under 19s across the UK, this year’s awards were judged by a panel of experts in wildlife photography, including TV presenter Patrick Aryee, Chris Packham and award-winning photographers Andrew Forsyth and Jules Cox.

Also on the panel were sponsors of the Awards, Philip Warner, MD of printing business Warners Midlands plc, award-winning photographer Ellie Rothnie from Nature’s Images, along with former RSPCA Young Photographer Awards overall winner Catriona Parfitt.

The winning images were announced during an awards ceremony at the Tower of London on Wednesday, December 18.

Judge Chris Packham said: “There are some beautiful pictures in this year’s winners’ gallery, with real talent shining through. This year’s entrants have been really creative and that is what we wanted to see.”