An East Lancashire village has made it to the final of the county’s Best Kept Village Competition.

Sabden will be judged over the next two days (today, August 22, and tomorrow, August 23) as part of the ‘large village’ class and will be looking to win the title for the first time since 2017, when it won in ‘medium village’.

The village will be judged on its appearance, meaning residents have spent the past weeks removing weeds and grass from kerbs, cleaning benches and signs, and picking up litter to keep the place clean and tidy.

Cllr Susan Clarke, from Sabden Parish Council, said: “Everybody is really pleased. We work really hard around the village and there are 30to 40 other people who do other jobs like watering planters and doing litter picks.

“We mustn’t underestimate what they do because altogether is makes a whole and everybody’s efforts pull together.

"The whole point of the competition is to get communities working together and having pride in where they live.

“Now we’re through to the final, people are really pleased. It’s a real community effort.”

Sabden has been through two rounds of judging already – one by members of the public and another by the Lancashire Best Kept Village committee.

Across the next two days, it will be overviewed by a guest judge alongside its competition – the village of Hambleton, near Blackpool.

It will then find out on October 16 whether it has been successful when the awards ceremony takes place at Eaves Hall, near Clitheroe.