It sounds a glamorous life - working for a record company, playing in a band and writing for a magazine. But Mia Clarke has been named the hardest worker in Sussex.

The budding rock guitarist catches the 6.48am train to London five days a week and doesn't return home until 9pm, giving her precious little time to write new material for her group High Fives.

The Fives, a group of four college friends, have only been together two years but are already on the verge of getting signed to a record label.

Although she would not change it, Mia, 19, admits her lifestyle is nothing if not hectic and leaves her longing for a bit of sleep.

Luckily, the prize for being the county's hardest worker is a new king-size bed which, in true rock star fashion, she gave an interview on - in the middle of Hove beach with the waves lapping at her feet and passers-by stopping to stare.

She said: "We do a lot of gigs in Brighton and London.

"There have been talks and it's looking like we might get signed but I don't want to say too much because nothing has been signed or sealed yet. We've just got to wait and see."

If she's not playing gigs or rehearsing, Mia can normally be found either babysitting for extra cash or doing some freelance writing for internet music magazine, The Wire.

The competition to find the hardest worker in Sussex was launched in December and it was family friend Shirley Stanwell, who nominated Mia.

Shirley said: "Mia is a really hard worker but always has the time to help others.

"She is the hardest working teenager you have ever met and certainly deserves a new bed but has no spare cash at the moment."

Director of Sussex Bed Centres Steve Pickering said: "We set out to find a person who works long hours, who is quite likely to regard hard work as fun and who may well find it difficult to switch off and relax. Mia seems to meet these criteria."