A rallying cry has been issued by Ledbury in Bloom chairman Tom Deane.

Mr Dean is adamant that the town can still win the national Britain in Bloom competition, despite being beaten by Bridgnorth in the regional final.

At a ceremony at Coventry Cathedral last Friday, Mr Deane and mayor Keith Francis heard that Ledbury was to get a gold award in the regional final, alongside Alcester and Tewkesbury.

However, the category winner was Bridgnorth, a town that is representing the UK this year in the "Entente Cordiale" European contest, one stage up from the national finals.

The overall winner across all categories was Eccleshall, which entered the Large Village section.

Last year Ledbury was the overall winner, giving it entry to the national contest as the Heart of England champion.

In previous years, Ledbury did not have to face Bridgnorth in its section, because the Severn-side town was in the larger Medium Towns category.

Mr Deane said: "I was initially disappointed with the result but when I heard what the judges had said I was elated."

He said Bridgnorth fully deserved its victory. But he pointed out that Ledbury won the overall Heart of England title last year, ahead of Bridgnorth and Bridgnorth still went on to win the national title, gaining it entry into this year's international competition.

Mr Deane said: "We're now in exactly the same position as Bridgnorth last year."

If the view of regional judges Les Goodman and Bob Harris are similar to those of the national judges, then Ledbury has a good chance of success.

In their report, the regional judges noted that "the whole town was positively glowing with colour and form, with the baskets, planters and gardens full to overflowing with beautiful plants, none better than the Fire and Ambulance Stations, which were both simply outstanding".

They continued: "The judges were impressed that all of Ledbury knew in was "In Bloom Day", helped very much by the excellent press coverage and advertising booklet."

The national results will be announced at the Guildhall, in London, on September 30.

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