British beauties of Miss England pageant go sari shopping

Glamorous Miss England hopefuls have donned their finery for a stunning beachside reception as they continue their tour of Sri Lanka ahead of next month's pageant final , the Daily Mail reported.

Entrants from London, Nottinghamshire, Manchester and Stoke-on-Trent gathered at Hotel OZO in Colombo for a glittering beachside reception overlooking the Indian Ocean.

The British beauties from all corners of the country were also joined by Elizabeth Grant, who is the reigning Miss England and currently preparing to hand over the coveted tiara to her successor next month.

The beauty queens - some as young as 17 - are vying for the coveted title of Miss England 2017, and are due to tour the country for two weeks culminating with the final showdown back in the UK in July.

Earlier, they kicked off their second day in Sri Lanka with a spot of retail therapy. The stunners were seen trying on a myriad of colourful saris in a local outfitters on Wednesday after landing in the country for their two-week tour of the island  on Tuesday. 

Clearly gearing up for the Birmingham finals that will take place next month, several of the women could be seen parading their new wears down a catwalk in practice for the big event 

The young women could be seen posing in various traditional outfits all embellished with crystals and intricate beading in the store today, before heading back to the hotel for a party and buffet dinner.

The hopefuls later took a tour around the bustling city centre, where they are currently situated, meeting with Paddy Withana, Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.

The tour is run alongside the Miss Premier Ceylon contests, which will feature Sri Lankan catwalk queens, and girls from both countries teamed up for a series of glamorous group photos earlier in the week.

They will later fly back to Birmingham for the showdown on July 14 at Resorts World Hotel where Mr and Miss England will be crowned in a glittering ceremony. 

The winner of the Miss England title will eventually join Miss Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to compete for the Miss World crown, with its impressive first prize award of $100,000 (£78,000). 

As well as taking part in the traditional catwalk style contest, Miss England contestants will travel Sri Lanka, getting to know their counterparts and learning about the country.

The contest also has a charitable angle, with all contestants taking part in an 'Eco fashion round'.