VILLAGERS throughout Wiltshire have been celebrating after learning of their community's success in the first round of this year's Best Kept Village competition.

Now they will be kept busy sprucing up verges and roadsides, litter-picking and trying to improve on areas which caught the eye of the first round judges, before the second set of judges visit their village during July.

The competition, supported yet again this year by Hill Group, saw good entries in the first, district, round, and now the winners will fight for the county titles.

"Thank you to all villages, however well you did. CPRE Wiltshire hopes that you found the competition worthwhile and that your villages are looking better as a result," said CPRE project officer

Mike Manson.

The first round is divided into districts based on the former local authority areas, with communities divided by size. The winners are:

North Wiltshire and Swindon

Large, 1 Hullavington, 2 Ashton Keynes, 3 Brinkworth, 4 Box; Medium, 1 Biddestone, 2 Blunsdon, 3 Oaksey, 4 Dauntsey; Small, 1

Charlton, 2 Marston Meysey, 3 Clyffe Pypard, 4 Upper & Lower Seagry.

Kennet

Large, 1 Ramsbury, 2 Urchfont, 3 Bromham, 4 Rowde; Medium, 1 Seend , 2 Milton Lilbourne; Small, 1 Wilcot.

West Wiltshire

Large, 1 Winsley, =2 Bowerhill and Bratton, 4 Hilperton; Medium, 1 Edington, 2 Sutton Veny, 3 Horningsham, 4 Berryfields; Small, 1 Bishopstrow.