TWO East Lancashire areas are set to be recognised in a prestigious regional floral competition.

Colne is set to be honoured at the North West in Bloom awards ceremony, to be held in Liverpool on Tuesday.

And officials from Stubbins Residents Association have also been invited to the Merseyside ceremony to pick up a prize.

Representatives from the Colne in Bloom committee are going along to pick up an award for the town.

But they will not know what they have won until they get there.

Last year Colne was voted second runner-up in the Best Large Town category.

It was the third year running that the town had picked up this award. This year the Colne in Bloom Committee is hoping to do even better and clinch the top title.

Coun Dorothy Lord, chairman of the Colne in Bloom committee, said: “We are thrilled to be winning another award for Colne.

“This is the fifth year in a row that Colne has entered the competition, and we’d love this award to be the top one.”

There are a total of 17 categories in the North West competition.

Colne is competing in the one for large towns, and Stubbins is competing for a village prize.

The judges went to Colne in July, and also recently toured Stubbins.

This year’s Colne highlights included a stone guitar sculpture outside The Municipal Hall, the town hall, and the recently refurbished town centre.

In Stubbins, campaigning residents have used old whisky barrels as attractive street features.

Coun Lord added: “This award recognises all the hard work residents have put into improving their town.

“It is about much more than just flowers.

“It covers a range of other things, including cleanliness, tackling litter, graffiti, vandalism and anti-social behaviour."

Sacred Heart RC Primary School, which won the top title in the Environmental Awards for Schools category last year, will once again receive an award.

And Boundary Mill is also up for an award this year, in the tourist attraction category.