WOTTON has scooped the second highest award – a silver gilt – in the town category of the Heart of England in Bloom awards.

The achievement was announced at an awards ceremony in Burton on Trent on Thursday and the silver-gilt award means Wotton could be a potential gold award winner in the future.

Wotton in Bloom committee members Trevor Mason, Ruth Yorke and Alex Wilkinson attended the event to pick up the award.

Trevor Mason said: “It’s a wonderful result.

“It’s the first ever time the town has ever entered and we’re absolutely delighted. We’ll be aspiring for a gold in the future.

“It’s testament to the hard work everybody put in, not just the committee members, but all the people who joined in with sweeping, weeding, litter picking and all the shop keepers who decorated their windows."

Wotton in Bloom chair Sue Hunt wasn't able to make the ceremony, but was texted the result seconds after it was announced.

She said: “This award is for everybody.

"There can’t be many people in Wotton who haven’t contributed to the result in some way, whether by putting a few pennies in the collection boxes, picking up a bit of litter, to watering, planting and so on.

“We had several big clean ups in the town, which made a huge difference.

"The Wotton in Bloom team is very small, there’s only nine of us, so we couldn’t possibly have done it all ourselves.

“The award is only half about the flowers. the other half is about the community and the environment.

“And being involved does makes you feel like part of a community."