Best Kept village competition

5.28.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Sat 13th Jun 2009

Neil with winners from the Ridge Ward at last year’s presentation

Judging for the Northern Lincolnshire best-kept village competition is about to get underway.

The first round of the Campaign to Protect Rural England's (CPRE) contest will take place later this month, with a further round in August.

A new feature for this year's competition is a prize for the best-kept war memorial, sponsored by North Lincolnshire Councillor and owner of Pooley's tearoom, Neil Poole.

Coun Poole said: "The CPRE competition does a fantastic job encouraging civic pride and strengthen community sprit across northern Lincolnshire. " I am very pleased to support the competition and to be able to sponsor the best kept war memorial."

The CPRE has urged villages and small towns to clean up litter and graffiti before the judges visit, so marks are not effected.

Entrants are judged in four groups, for small villages, medium villages, large villages and towns. In addition there will also be awards for, best kept church yard, best kept play ground, best kept war memorial and community planting.