RESIDENTS of a village named the best in the country by Britain in Bloom judges are planning a get-together to celebrate their win.

Appleton Wiske, near Northallerton, won the villages category of the competition, run by the Royal Horticultural Society.

Judges said the village was a joy to visit, and praised the conservation initiatives on show. They noted the many impressive floral displays, and the high standard of tidiness and maintenance.

The judges said: "Community pride was highly evident, and involvement of all sections of the community was the order of the day."

A special edition of Gardener's World on Friday night will mark the village's achievement, and Martin and Olwyn Coleman, licensees of the Lord Nelson pub, plan to install a second large screen television, so locals can watch the programme together.

Mr Coleman has already put up a giant banner congratulating the village on its success.

He said: "We wanted to show our support not only for the committee, which has done such sterling work, but for the whole village, which has really pulled together to achieve this wonderful success."

Chairman of the Appleton in Bloom committee Derek Partington said: "Naturally, we're delighted to have won the award. The judges made some very kind comments about the village, which has made all the months of hard work worthwhile."