A TALENTED artist from the area has won a national competition to design artwork for band Florence and the Machine after submitting an emotionally charged portrait which she created in memory of her friend.

Last week it was announced that Louise Clifford's picture of friend Natalie Roberts - who died in 2010 after battling a rare form of cancer - was to be immortalised on a record sleeve and displayed in a London art gallery after receiving the most votes.

The 22-year-old had entered her design for the single 'Only If For A Night' after realising the competition was being run in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust, a charity which helped Natalie during her fight with the disease.

And on Thursday the Haldane girl told the Reporter that she was thrilled to have won the competition and thankful for all the support she had received from residents in Dumbarton and the Vale.

She said: "It's probably down to you printing the story last week that I won.

"I was shocked when I found out but I was so happy the community had pulled together for it.

"Everyone I know was getting everyone to vote and it was a great feeling to know everybody cared.

"I had already drawn this portrait of Natalie for her mum to mark a year since she passed away. I thought it would be a nice present to give her mum.

"I just missed her and I thought I would do that for her mum to show she was still missed by a lot of people. I didn't know how to express how I missed her so that's what I did.