Reigning Miss Guernsey Natalie Thoumine at the Carlton Plaza.

THE battle over who owns the rights to the Miss Guernsey pageant has been resolved by a unanimous vote.

The South Show committee has decided that the Carlton Plaza has the right to hold the event, not its former manager Elvio Pires.

Show president Richard Breban said it had not been easy to decide who was entitled to put on the show.

The pageant nearly ceased to exist when the South Show downsized in 2005.

‘It was at this time we were approached by Mr Elvio Pires, as manager of the Carlton Hotel, expressing an interest in the competition,’ said Mr Breban.

‘We handed over control of the competition to them with the stipulation that if the Carlton Hotel no longer wished to hold the competition, we could look into holding it again or finding a new organisation to do so.’

Within the paperwork of the handover, Mr Pires was referred to as the manager of the Carlton.

Mr Breban said it was that reference that implied the event had been given to the Carlton Plaza.