BIDSTON has won the title of Best Small Village for a sixth year at the Northwest In Bloom awards.

The accolade encourages communities to improve and care for their local environment through imaginative planting of trees, shrubs, flowers and landscaping, conservation and recycling projects and by tackling issues such as litter, graffiti and vandalism.

Bidston has won the silver award in their category for the past five years.

It picked up its sixth during a ceremony at Southport Theatre on Thursday.

The village also won the Mayor of Trafford's Silver Cup.

Last year it won Amberol Trophy for the second time, named after the company that made the flower baskets that line the pavements in Hoylake.

Bidston Labour councillor Jim Crabtree, in helping the village achieve its silver award, told the Globe: "I want to thank everyone who has helped Bidston get these awards.

"It's a great honour to have won the silver award again and to have picked up the mayor of Trafford's Silver Cup.

"I thought we would have, at least, been in with a chance of winning the Ambrose Trophy again, so we're absolutely thrilled to scoop the Mayor of Trafford's Cup.

"This is all down to the community and shows what can happen when people get together."