HUNTINGDON has scooped a gold award in the national Britain in Bloom Awards.

The prestigious medal will join the gold award presented to the town at the regional Anglia in Bloom competition last week.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Britain in Bloom Awards for 2011, supported by Anglian Home Improvements, is one of the largest environmental campaigns in Europe.

TV gardener and presenter Rachel De Thame hosted the prestigious RHS Awards Ceremony yesterday, which was held in the Fairmont Hotel, St Andrews, Scotland.

Ann Colbert, of Huntingdon in Bloom, said: “The town has scored from this experience. Residents, businesses and visitors have remarked on the quality of the flowers, of the cleanliness in the town and its surroundings and the high standards of maintenance along the river banks.

“An RHS Britain in Bloom award is the highest accolade to aim for, and in doing so, everyone has gained from the experience.”

Chairman of the RHS Britain in Bloom judging panel, Roger Burnett said: “My fellow judges and I noticed this year that many communities are facing even greater challenges than ever before because of financial conditions, political changes, civil unrest and that’s not even to mention the unpredictable British weather.

“But we are extremely pleased to report how we have seen many communities using RHS Britain in Bloom as a solution and really pulling together as a group of volunteers, as communities, to continue to move forward facing down everything from a tornado to damage from rioting.

“No matter what the challenge, these finalists were facing it with determination and spirit and making their communities better places in which to live.”