THERE are only days left before this year’s search for the Daily Echo’s Child of the Year closes to entries.

The last of the specially held sittings will be staged on Sunday, so anyone wanting their bundle of joy to be in with a chance of winning this year’s crown will need to make tracks to The Marlands.

The shopping centre is once again hosting the sittings as the sponsor of the competition for the 15th consecutive year. Parents need to bring their children along with the coupon printed on page 16 of today’s Daily Echo along to the sittings where a photographer will capture that winning smile.

After the sittings close on Sunday the photographs will be organised into age categories, up to nine months, ten to 18 months, 19 to 35 months and those youngsters aged three to five, and printed in a supplement.

The voting lines will then be opened for the public to cast their vote either by phone, text or post before the children with the most votes will go through to the final.

The specially arranged judging panel then have the difficult task of picking a winner, second and third place child in each age category before an overall winner is crowned the Daily Echo Child of the Year.

And with the title also comes with a package of prizes. Today we can reveal that the winning child will also walk away with £200 worth of vouchers to spend at The Marlands shopping centre an engraved crystal bowl, framed print and certificate.

Each age category winner will receive £100 worth of Marlands vouchers, with the runners up all receiving £50 worth of vouchers, while third placed youngsters will receive £25 of vouchers for the centre. All prize winners will receive a framed print and certificate. The vouchers can be spent in a selection of stores in the family-friendly shopping centre stores To be in with a chance of winning this year’s competition make sure you make one of the remaining sittings that run every day from 9.30am to 4.30pm except Sunday, when the time will be 11am to 4.30pm