A CITY centre is awash with colour as it awaits the visit of judges from the Britain in Bloom.

Durham is competing for the national Champion of Champions title as judging for the prestigious title takes place next week.

Durham County Council’s Civic Pride and Clean and Green teams and the Durham In Bloom group will welcome the judges from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Britain in Bloom UK Finals competition on Tuesday.

After winning gold for the last two years in the Large Town category, Durham was invited by the RHS to enter the Champion of Champions category.

Alan Patrickson, the county council’s head of direct services, said: “We are extremely honoured and delighted to be welcoming national Britain in Bloom judges to Durham for the third successive year, to showcase the hard work of partners and volunteers in making the city a more attractive place to live, work and visit.

“Durham is a beautiful city, steeped in history, and we are very proud to be a finalist in the Champion of Champions category.