A RIBBLE Valley Hotel has claimed another bloomin' success after scooping a major gardening award for the sixth consecutive year.

The Gibbon Bridge Hotel, set in 20 acres of farmland in the Forest of Bowland, has again been named winner of the best large hotel class in the North West Britain in Bloom competition, run by the Tidy Britain Group.

The team of Robert Lowe, John Proctor and Howard McGill has spent 20 years developing the gardens, which have been the inspiration of proprietor Janet Simpson.

She firmly believes that the success of the gardens lie in the fact they give visitors "much more than they are expecting" as well as providing constant delight for the many hotel guests and diners.

Robert said: "We have many visitors who come here especially to eat in the conservatory which overlook the gardens.

"They arrive throughout the year and enjoy seeing the gardens change with the seasons. So it is very important that we have colour and variety at all times and that the gardens are always maintained to the highest standard."

In a bid to constantly improve and develop the area, the team has this year redesigned the steps up to the now-famous bandstand, which has been the scene of many of Lancashire's civil weddings.

The rockery has also been extended, but stocked in such a way that it already looks like an established part of the gardens.

Janet and Robert attended a special presentation to receive the prestigious silver cup, which will be displayed in the hotel. Janet opened the Gibbon Bridge with her late mother Margaret in 1982 and has won many awards for hotel management. The latest Tidy Britain trophy follows the hotel's success in May when it won the Duke of Westminster Award for the best small business in the North West.