Hat trick of blooming awards

Councillors in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, are celebrating a hat trick of awards for the attractiveness of their town.

The town's latest coup is a silver medal in the Europe-wide Entente Florale competition.

In the same competition the town council was also given a special award for towns, for the work done to improve residents' quality of life.

The double honour comes after last year's triumph in the best town category in the national finals of Britain in Bloom.

Town clerk Kathy James said beating ten other European countries was the proudest achievement.

"We got a silver award and along with that a special award for towns in recognition of efforts made by the town council staff, in the volunteer sector, in improving the quality of life for all the inhabitants of Bridgnorth," she said.

"We've gone through from the regional to the national and now the European. I'm not quite sure what else we can do."