MODEL baby Joseph Blyth was tipped for greatness in the fashion world even before he was born.

Casting directors looking for the smiliest faces and most perfect pouts for some of the high street's biggest names had already signed up big sister Millie-Anne, now aged five.

Helped by patience and prettiness her career has rocketed to include television and fashion work since beating thousands of others to win a contract with top London agency Urban Angels two and a half years ago.

So when her parents Amanda and Ronnie Blyth, of Roseview Close, Bradwell, announced they were expecting again hopes were high that the new baby would inherit his sister's good looks and take to modelling like a natural.

Now with his shock of dark hair, laughing eyes and toothy smile little Joseph has the kind of superstar appeal that means his pictures are being beamed into living rooms across the land.

For his mother it adds another hectic layer to family life, with castings held at the drop of a hat and photo-shoots in London suddenly announced the day before to be juggled between work and school.

But apart from the financial incentive the whole experience was beneficial to the children who made new friends and learned a work-ethic they carried through into school life, she said.

Mrs Blyth, a sales manager at the Comfort Hotel in Great Yarmouth, said eight month old Joseph had the most hair of all the babies on the agency's books, and had his first curls trimmed on set.

So far he has featured in a TV advertisement for Huggies at Tesco, children's sleeping bags, M&S, and has another shoot next week.

Meanwhile Millie-Anne, who has already done over 100 shoots for M&S in the last year, has a portfolio which includes TV work for CBeebies, advertisements, videos and a shoot with TV chef Heston Blumenthal for Waitrose.

Youngsters needed to be well-behaved and able to take instruction but above all they needed committed parents, Mrs Blyth said.

Having your child requested by upmarket names was lovely, she said, but meant travelling to London up to three times a week, every week.

However many of the other mini-models had become friends and children were always excited to renew bonds cemented on previous shoots and to find out about their clothes and hair.

A highlight for Millie-Anne was appearing in Next's live press event, show-casing the coming season's fashions to industry insiders on a full-length cat walk with a routine to perform in front of 800 people at the Birmingham NEC.

Now Joseph is shaping up to be as in demand as his sister.

'They knew I was pregnant,' Mrs Blyth said.

'And they said when he was born to send in some pictures.

'After that they sent a message back saying they would like to sign him up and that he had the most hair of any of the babies, so he has a little niche.'