IN Bloom groups across the borough are celebrating after winning awards for their floral displays.

The North West in Bloom Awards winners included Hindley Community Allotments, scooping the Best Overall Winner and Best Small Neighbourhood gongs and receiving an 'outstanding' rating.

The Howe Bridge group won the Large Town Category and St Philip's CE Primary in Atherton picked up the Environmental Award for Schools.

Neighbourhood Awards went to the 'advancing' Atherton in Bloom group and Selby Court in Leigh as well as the 'outstanding' Mosley Common in Bloom.

The Blue Bell in Atherton also received the top rating of 'outstanding', despite being a new entry.

The borough itself won a gold medal and the Large City/Met Borough category in last week's awards ceremony, adding to its gold medal success in the recent Britain in Bloom awards.

Cllr Kevin Anderson, executive member for the environment at Wigan Council, said: “It has been a fantastic year for the borough’s in Bloom groups.

“We are extremely fortunate to have so many excellent volunteers throughout the borough who dedicate an enormous amount of time to make the borough bloom.

“These groups are crucial to having neighbourhoods of which we can be proud and help make our borough such an attractive place to live.

“The in Bloom success also sums up exactly what the aims of The Deal are, with residents taking pride and responsibility for their local area and volunteering to make their communities great places to live.”

Anyone interested in joining an in Bloom group should call 01942 489325.