THE Ribble Valley's Michelin-starred Northcote Hotel and Restaurant has won another major award.

Yesterday it was named National Hotel of the Year in the Visit England Awards for Excellence 2017.

The accolade was announced at a ceremony the Hilton Waldorf in London.

The Langho hotel's bosses, managing director Craig Bancroft and chef patron Nigel Haworth, who have run the hotel since 1984, were unable to attend because of a major conference.

The 26-bedroom boutique hotel with the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Lancashire beat stiff competition from The Manor House Hotel and Golf club in Bath and The Pheasant Hotel in Helmsley to take the prize.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Cilla Lowe, digital marketing manager for The Northcote Group collected the award on their behalf with group marketing manager Kay Mathew.

She said: “We are all absolutely delighted.

"This is a very prestigious award which further cements Northcote's national reputation.

"Nigel and Craig were very disappointed not to be able to attend.

"To be shortlisted in the national final you had to win your local county category, in our case, Lancashire Hotel of the Year in 2016.

"To win is a really major achievement for our hotel after competing with the very finest in the country."

More than 700 venues had been entered for awards in a total of 22 categories celebrating the best of English tourism.

Judges visited all the shortlisted locations to determine the winners.

Northcote has an illustrious history, won the AA Hotel of the Year award last September and has also held a Michelin star, putting it in the international restaurant elite class,for 20 consecutive years.

Visit England chief executive Sally Balcombe said: “Awards for Excellence finalists exemplify outstanding tourism talent and distinguished business throughout the whole of England."