Shropshire village is among the best in Britain

Green-fingered residents in Shropshire are celebrating after their village was officially named one of the best in Britain.

Norton-in-Hales, near Market Drayton, was presented with a Gold Award, winning its category in the Royal Horticultural Society Britain in Bloom campaign.

The awards ceremony was held last night at the Centennial Centre in Birmingham, hosted by BBC Gardeners' World and Edible Garden presenter, Alys Fowler.

The judges highlighted the sympathetic planting and high quality of maintenance of all the public open spaces in the village, that almost every front garden was immaculate, and the streets were clean.

Malcolm McDonald, secretary of the Norton-in-Hales Britain in Bloom Group, said: "The judges were very impressed with how tidy the village was as well as the standard of people's private gardens."

Commenting on the village, the RHS judges said: "Shropshire in the Heart of England has many hidden gems, but few can boast the total community commitment of Norton in Hales.

"The whole village seems to be behind the bloom initiative and obviously has been for a considerable number of years."

More than 1,100 communities participated in this year's campaign and 66 were chosen to represent their area in the finals.