HAVING a full head of hair did not prevent the aptly-named Richard Pate, pictured, winning through to the finals of a national competition for male models.

Richard, a 32-year-old Australian who has settled in York, has been chosen for the finals of a contest run to promote a new shampoo for balding men called circ.

He was one of eight finalists in the circ Older Male Models contest, who were making their catwalk debuts in the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent today. Richard said he still had a full head of black hair and hoped he took after his paternal grandfather when it came to keeping it. "The competition is for men over 25 and I think it's great if that's the sort of look they're going for."

The winner was due to be signed up by the Models 1 International model agency.

Updated: 09:47 Saturday, April 28, 2001