A BUDDING singer arrived at a talent show in the nick of time because of speed restrictions on trains - and scooped second prize.

It took Jamie-Louise Lamb, 16, and her mother almost three hours - over double the normal time - to reach Weymouth from their home in Christchurch.

At one stage, they feared Jamie-Louise might be too late to take part in a Weymouth Talent Competition heat at the town's pavilion.

Jamie-Louise, who is a member of the National Youth Choir, said: "We were worried that I wouldn't get there for the contest and I would miss my sound check. Then I would have had to sing without any practice which would have been hard."

She was the last of the seven contestants to arrive at the venue.

But she overcame her anxieties once she got on stage and sang her heart out on two tracks - Cher's Shoop Shoop Song and the theme from the film Pearl Harbour, There You'll Be.

Jamie-Louise will now go forward to the final in September with the heat winner Stephanie Murray, 16, from Verwood.

Her mother Wendy, 41, said: "Jamie-Louise was getting worried because our first train was delayed and then we missed a connection in Bournemouth where we had to wait for half and hour.

"Luckily we had decided to leave early in case of any delays otherwise we might have been too late. I normally drive but my husband had taken the car to come down later to watch the competition.

"We will definitely be going by car when we come back to Weymouth for the final."

Michael Cavanagh, a spokesman for South West Trains, said Network Rail had imposed 60mph restrictions as a safety precaution against tracks buckling in the heat.

He said: "There were no cancellations at that time but the journey may have been slowed further if the train went through a 20mph restriction zone.

"We are experiencing an average of 35 minute delay on Waterloo to Weymouth trains because of the restrictions."