HEREFORD in Bloom narrowly missed out on a Gold Award in the Heart of England in Bloom competition.

The disappointing news was despite the city’s flower displays being the best since the volunteer group took over the planting five years ago, winning a second-best Silver Gilt prize.

The floral category gained a high score, but changes to the judging criteria resulted in points being lost in the ‘environmental’ category, the final count being just three points short of the top award.

Kevin Knipe, chairman of Hereford in Bloom, said “Whilst it would be nice to win Gold, our key objective is to ensure Hereford is a bright and cheerful city, welcoming its visitors with colourful displays of flowers, and that was achieved.

"We have been showered with praise by members of the public, who were delighted with the high quality of the floral displays this summer.”

He added: “We always take note of the judges' comments on each of the categories to help us improve each year.”

The in-depth portfolio produced for the judges covering a wide range of community projects can be viewed via a link on the Hereford in Bloom website, an opportunity for those interested to see the outstanding work of community volunteers.