NANTWICH and nearby villages swept the board at a community awards ceremony last Thursday.

Only a week after winning praise from North West in Bloom judges Nantwich was voted best-kept small town in the county by Cheshire Community Council.

Nantwich in Bloom member Julia Williams said: "We have the cleanest, greenest, most environmentally friendly, floral town in the region thanks to hard work throughout the year."

Audlem triumphed over 27 others to earn the official title of Cheshire's Most Vibrant Village and is now in line for the prestigious national award for Village of the Year.

Audlem Parish Council chairman Richard Furber said: "This award is a huge boost for the village.

"Audlem has made a real name for itself in recent years with big annual events such as Proms in the Park, the Transport Festival and the Music and Arts Festival.

"We recently launched our official website and the village now has its own Tourist Information Centre, which is unique for a village of this size."

And Wistaston won the Community Pride Competition for best-kept large village in Cheshire for the third time.

Wistaston in Bloom secretary Roger Woodward attributed this success to a lack of graffiti and litter, and volunteers who keep the area neat.

Local leaders were presented with the prestigious Cheshire Community Council awards in the glittering ceremony at Ellesmere Port Town Hall.

Deputy Mayor Cllr Michael Roberts, who attended, said: "We were over the moon to get so many awards in the borough - a lot of hard work was put in and it is a great achievement."

Nantwich In Bloom leaders are not taking a well-deserved rest - they are asking for residents' help to keep up the high standards for when the town represents the country in the Britain In Bloom contest next year.