Southport has been announced as the overall winner of the annual Britain in Bloom awards after “a year when community was so important”, judges have said.
The Town Hall gardens, which became a focal point following the 2024 tragedy in which three girls were killed at a dance workshop, were among eight areas in the resort praised in the national final.
Darren Share, chair of the judges, said the town “admirably demonstrated the power of gardening together”.
Speaking on BBC’s The One Show, Southport in Bloom’s lead John Dempsey said: “We’re so lucky – we’ve got three heritage parks, a glorious coastline full of rare birds and we manage that with so many great volunteers and our own core staff.”