Stephanie Broderick is the winner of the Mercury's Winter Weather picture competition.

A few weeks ago we asked readers to send in pictures they felt best summed up the wintry conditions.

Almost 200 amateur snappers submitted photographs but it was a picture of Stephanie's dog, Hollie, that was judged the best.

Stephanie, a college student living in Leicester city centre, said: "Hollie likes to sit in the front garden all day and watch the world go by.

"I don't think he was expecting to see this much snow on this occasion and spent the morning licking it off his nose.

"I don't know if he was cleaning it off or eating it, but I thought it would make a great picture. He loved it.

"He spent two weeks in the garden running around and chasing snowflakes.

"I have a very keen interest in photography – it was something I seriously considered studying at college but it clashed with my other classes."

She wins a family ticket for four, courtesy of Showcase Cinema de Lux, at Highcross, Leicester.

Andy Baker, deputy picture editor at the Mercury, who helped judge the competition, said: "What really made this picture stand out was that it catches a moment. It is also technically very good.

"It's a great effort all round and the dog is cute, too, which is always nice."

See all the competition entries on our slideshow, click here.