A mum who enters her little girl into beauty pageants has had to defend herself against criticism on social media.

Enrika Milne, from Minster, deleted Facebook friends after they questioned her parenting when four-year-old Arielle was photographed wearing false nails, hair extensions and fake tan for competitions.

But the defiant mum, who spends about £300 preparing her daughter for a single pageant, insists the contests are more about the girls' personalities and raising money for charity rather than the way they look.

The 26-year-old said: “I’ve had so many accusations from random people who see Arielle’s pictures on Facebook and say I’m sexualising her.

"I've also been told I need social services on my case. For what? Social services work with neglected children and my daughter is more than looked after.

“Why doesn’t anyone say anything bad about dancing and athletics?

"They wear much more make-up and high-crop leg leotards, but no one can see bad in it.

“My daughter is covered up by big puffy dresses. It’s no different to playing dress-up.

"She doesn't wear make-up every day and when she does, after a pageant, she has it all taken off as soon as we get home.”

Enrika, manager at Arielle’s Tanning and Beauty salon in Sheerness High Street, has spent two to three hours a time preparing Arielle for pageants since she started competing in April last year.

She said: “I don’t make her do the pageants. If she said she didn’t want to do it, I would just take her out.

“She loves attention and loves performing.

"The pageants have been such a good way for her to build confidence – she is more confident than any adult out there.

"They’ve also taught her all about charity work as the pageants collect money for different causes.”

Arielle, who will start at Thistle Hill Academy, Minster, in September, has taken home more than a dozen crowns in just 16 months.

Enrika estimates she has spent thousands on the hobby, with the cost of the beauty treatments added to the price of Arielle’s custom-fit costumes – which can cost up to £350 a time – as well as travel and hotels.

She said: “It’s absolutely worth the money though.

"Arielle loves it and she hopes to be crowned Miss England one day."