Shelley-Marie Sumner tormented about her eczema by school bullies goes on to win beauty contest

Shelley-Marie Sumner, 23, endured daily taunts throughout school life She was born with sore red patches of eczema covering her face and body Children would run away from her as though she was contagious But last year, at the behest of her boyfriend, she entered a beauty contest She was crownedMiss Black Country and competed in Miss England Ms Sumner: 'I want to urge victims to speak up and not suffer in silence'

By Corey Charlton for MailOnline

Published: 04:55 EST, 25 December 2014 | Updated: 08:15 EST, 25 December 2014

Shelley-Marie Sumner and her boyfriend Dean Williams, who encouraged her to enter her first beauty pageant

A woman who was subjected to a bullying ordeal due to her severe eczema has hit back against her tormentors - by being becoming a top beauty queen.

Shelley-Marie Sumner, 23, endured daily taunts of 'snake skin' throughout school due to the condition which affected her face and body and it left her desperately under-confident and considering self-harm.

But the dance teacher refused to cower away after she left school and when her eczema eased off she entered a local beauty pageant at the suggestion of her boyfriend.

Now she has had the last laugh after she was crowned Miss Black Country and went on to compete in the Miss England pageant.

Ms Sumner, 23, from Walsall, West Midlands said: 'I was picked on every day at school because of my eczema and it shattered my confidence. I never dreamed I would have the courage to enter a beauty pageant, let alone win, but I've finally shown the bullies that their words won't hold me back any more.'

She was born with sore red patches of eczema covering her body and although doctors told her mother Tracey-Marie that she would grow out of it, the condition only got worse. By the time she was a toddler, she was covered from head to toe in eczema.

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Shelley-Marie Sumner tormented about her eczema by school bullies goes on to win beauty contest