A would-be model who spends her working days peering into the eyes of Watford residents is in line to be crowned a High Street Honey by a popular lads' magazine.

Saoirse Cassidy, an optical assistant for David Clulow, an opticians in The Harlequin Shopping Centre, has beaten off competition from tens of thousands of other beauties to make the final of FHM's High Street Honeys 2009.

The 20-year-old, who lives in Dunstable and works in Watford, only entered the competition because one of her friends told her to do so.

However, after making it through to the final ten she could now be in line to win £10,000, a presenting job on FHM TV and get the chance to pose on the front cover of the magazine.

Speaking to the Watford Observer, Saoirse said: “One of my good friends just said you should enter it.

“She said you should just go for it. I've entered a few competitions and this one was the last one I wanted to do.”

Saoirse sent in a photograph of herself and a couple of months later found out she had been invited to an interview.

“I couldn't make the London interview so I drove all the way to Manchester for it”, she said.

However, after driving hundreds of miles and succumbing to nerves she thought she had ruined her hopes of clinching a professional modelling contract.

“I thought I had messed it up”, she admitted.

“But then I got a phone call to say well done you've mad it to the top 100.”

Saoirse's photo was then printed, alongside 99 others young women, for thousands of readers to look at and vote for their favourite.

And after clinching enough votes, Saoirse was told to her shock she had made it to the final ten.

She was then invited to pose for a saucy professional shoot – the results of which appear in this month's FHM magazine with the other finalists.

For Saoirse, however, the moment she saw her photos in print was one of shock.

“When I bought the top ten magazine I realised how many girls had entered.

“It was something like 13,000 so it was a real shock.

“But I am really enjoying it – people keep sending texts to me saying 'wow, I didn't realise you were going to be in FHM'.”

The optical assistant, who has previously worked in the clothes shops Repertoire and Monserrat, in The Harlequin Centre, as well as in Ego Hair Design, in The Parade, says the beauty competition will be last one she enters.

However, she says she is confident of doing well – if only because she has got further and further in every competition she has entered.

“I have always got closer to number one.”

She added: “The first one I entered I came 13th, then I think I came fifth and then I came second so I just thought if I could come first it would be amazing.”

And although none of her customers have recognised her while at work, she says she has got one important fan.

“My dad was really excited – he bought the magazine before I even knew it was out and because he is a driver he showed it to everyone which was a bit embarrassing.

“But I don't think anyone in the shop has seen it yet.”

To vote for Saoirse go to www.fhm.com/saoirsecassidy or text HONEY to 86145.