Venue for child beauty pageant still a mystery

A controversial child beauty pageant is due to go ahead today, but the location of the event remains unknown.

Organisers of the Universal Royalty pageant have refused to publicly say where the event will be held after the Bracken Court Hotel in Balbriggan in Dublin yesterday pulled the plug on hosting the contest.

Parents of children entering the competition were told they would be contacted by email or phone about the new venue.

The Children's Minister Frances Fitzgerald has said such contests are "highly inappropriate" for young children.