A soldier with a commendation for bravery in Iraq is hoping to be crowned Miss England tonight.

Lance Corporal Katrina Hodge, who won the Miss Tunbridge Wells contest after being entered by a friend, thinks her Army experience may give her an edge at the contest at the Troxy venue in London's Docklands.

She said: “The total flip side of being a beauty queen and being a soldier makes me stand out for being different.”

The 21-year-old won her commendation while serving with the 1st Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment, in Basra, in 2005, when she wrestled two rifles from an Iraqi prisoner, saving the lives of her colleagues.

Should she win the title, L Cpl Hodge said she would use it to raise awareness of soldiers and their charities.