If someone told you their pet looked like a Star Wars character you could be forgiven for thinking they were from a galaxy far, far away.

But pet competition judges thought Rainham Shar-pei Coco’s likeness to Princess Leia was so out of this world they made her runner up out of 6,000 hairy hopefuls.

Owner Leanne Edgell, 21, and her sister, Maddi, 15, decided on the barking mad fancy dress outfit for the nine-year-old after stumbling across the My Pet Superstar competition on the internet.

Law and psychology student Leanne said: “She’s a bit of a dope really, she just sits there and let’s us do it.

“We just thought she looked a bit silly but we were really surprised to do so well in the competition.

“My brother is into Star Wars so we just decided to try dressing her up like Princess Leia.”

Thanks to Coco’s use of the force, the girls have won a year’s subscription to Your Dog and a supply of Drongal worming tablets, from cthe ompetition organiser, but Coco’s battle with the forces of darkness may not be over.

Leanne said: “We are not sure what we will dress her in next but we do have a blonde wig which might use.”