A woman said she slashed a beauty queen's face with a glass during a fight outside a pub in self defence.

China Gold, of London Road in Ditton, stood before magistrates in Maidstone today accused of striking 21-year-old Olivia Cooke with the glass.

The 26-year-old denies a charge a grievous bodily harm - claiming self defence.

Cooke, a Miss England finalist from Barming, needed plastic surgery after sustaining cuts to the face in the attack outside the Farmhouse Pub in High Street West Malling in October.

Prosecutor Barney Nickolls told the court Gold had the glass thrown at her, although it was not said by who, before picking it up.

Because of the seriousness of the allegation the case will be heard before a judge at Maidstone Crown Court in August.

Cooke also appeared at court earlier this year and was been charged with assault in relation to the same altercation - also claiming self defence. She has not yet entered a plea to a revised charge of assault by beating.

The young pageant hopeful, also a professional golfer, needed 10 stitches to close a cut above her left eye as well as cosmetic surgery to hide the wound.

She also still experiences numbness in the area as a result of nerve damage.

Olivia's mum Julie Cooke, 46, pleaded guilty to ABH after punching Gold in the face - giving her a black eye - when she arrived at the pub following the fracas.

Both will appear again at Maidstone Magistrates' Court in September.

Miss England organisers confirmed they are aware of the ongoing case.

Cooke qualified for the competition finals along with nine other girls. She will go up against 55 other contestants for a chance to win the top spot and a place at Miss World.

She follows in the footsteps of her dad, Phil Cooke, who claimed the title of Mr UK in 1996.

Read more: All the latest news from Malling

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