Residents left devastated after a mystery poisoner killed off hundreds of hanging baskets were racing against the clock today in a bid to impress judges in the annual Britain in Bloom awards.

It was feared Saltburn's hopes of winning the competition had wilted after a water bowser was laced with poison two weeks ago.

Baffled residents in the North-East town were stunned to find the ruined flowers last month.

Saltburn is one of 61 finalists, the fifth time it has made the finals, but organisers feared their chances of success had disappeared.

But after the incident, scores of people began replacing almost 400 flower baskets ahead of today's final round of inspections by judges.

The majority have now been replaced after offers of help flooded in from the local community and further afield. People have been helping to hang the baskets over recent days.

Tony Lynn, of the Saltburn in Bloom committee, said today: ''Whatever happens now we are more than happy with what we have achieved in the time we have achieved it.

''It proves what can be done when the community rallies together and we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

''There is a lot of activity in the town today and restoring the baskets and displays has been a marvellous community effort.

''After what happened there was never any thought of giving up or withdrawing from the competition and it is all credit to the community that we have got the town looking really stunning again.''

Royal Horticultural Society judges will visit Saltburn this afternoon for their final inspection before the national winner is announced at a ceremony in London at the end of September.

Two weeks ago it emerged that poison had been slipped into a water tank used to spray the colourful displays around the town.

Around 380 hanging baskets, worth almost £10,000, were destroyed.

The hanging baskets had adorned every shop and office and the former railway station in the Grade II listed town centre with some trailing 10ft of flowers.

Soil samples were sent off for analysis but the results have not yet been returned.

Mr Lynn added: ''Whether we will ever get to the bottom of who did it I just don't know.

''We sent samples of the hanging baskets and turf off for laboratory tests but haven't had any results back yet.''