BLACKO folk will be making sure their gardens and nearby streets are kept extra tidy during the next month in the hope of winning the best-kept village competition.

Blacko has reached the finals of the small village class in the Lancashire's best-kept village competition 2002.

Judging will be taking place this month and the winners will be announced on September 14.

Prizes will be presented to the winners on Saturday October 26 at the village hall in West Bradford.

This year's competition was entered by 97 villages and during June and July two teams of preliminary judges visited each village twice.