A WOMAN who swapped sunny Greece for East Rainton has won first prize in a housing association’s annual gardening competition.

Leda Gibbins was the overwhelming choice of the judges deciding who should win the Durham Aged Mineworkers’ Homes Association (DAMHA) 2018 Pot Plant Competition.

The 58-year-old, who originally hails from Athens but now lives with her Hendon-born husband Jim in a DAMHA bungalow in East Rainton, was chosen for her outstanding display of flowers, which include petunias, sweet peas, begonias, dahlias, fuschias, sunflowers and much more.

It has been a real labour of love for Mrs Gibbons, who receives £50 cash for winning the competition.

She said: “I started planning the garden early this year and this involved buying most of my flowers from Amazon.

“The fantastic weather we have been having has really helped, in fact it’s almost like being back in Athens, although it has also meant I have had to do lots of watering so the flowers didn’t dry out.”