MALVERN last night scooped one of the top prizes for its first-ever entry into the Britain in Bloom awards, which judges said the town should be proud of.

At last night's awards ceremony in Bristol, Malvern was awarded a coveted the Silver Gilt title for its entry in the competitions large town category

And as a special bonus, long-time Malvern in Bloom organiser John Jordan received a special Community Champion award for his commitment to the cause.

Judges from the Royal Horticultural Society visited Malvern in July, meeting community representatives and assessing local projects on three key criteria: horticultural achievement, community participation and environmental responsibility.

And the resulting judges' report said: "“Malvern can be proud of its first-time entry into the finals. Throughout the tour this beautiful Worcestershire spa town was showcased very well.

"Excellent trees set in superb landscape complemented with large quantities of flowers enhance this lovely tourist town to both the benefit of the local community and visitors alike."

Malvern was invited to take part in the national competition after its triumph in last year's Heart of England in Bloom, when Malvern took the top prize in the competition for the sixth time running.

And last month, the Malvern in Bloom team won yet another gold medal in this year's Heart of England in Bloom finals. although it narrowly missed out on the top prize in the large town category to Biddulph in Staffordshire.

Mr Jordan received the RHS Britain in Bloom Community Champion award for his exceptional commitment and dedication to the RHS Britain in Bloom cause.

The awards ceremony was hosted by Adam Frost of the RHS, who said: ‘In my early career I was involved in Britain in Bloom and in April this year I helped launch the 50th anniversary of this fantastic campaign.

"So, I know all about the amazing work that the thousands of Bloom volunteers up and down the country do on a daily basis. It’s such an honor to be asked to present the awards to those who have made it to the national finals – they are all inspirational people."