VILLAGERS in All Cannings and Rushall are celebrating after they were both named county winners in Wiltshire's Best Kept Village competition.

All Cannings took the prize for the best medium sized village while Rushall was the best small settlement.

In the first round both villages won their district prize and went on to the final where they were up against other winners from different districts.

All Cannings parish clerk Kate Ashby said: “We have a very active community and parish council. We have been doing organised litter picks, like the Clean for the Queen event, it’s just that kind of place."

A spokesman for the CPRE contest sponsored by Hills Group said: "In the first round 40 villages throughout the county were tested against the competition criteria which look for tidiness, cleanliness, presentation and village community spirit.

"The parish councils and their volunteers had clearly been hard at work, achieving encouragingly high standards and making the judges’ task that much more difficult.

"Each village is judged within the categories of small, medium and large and in the first round they are only judged within their own of four districts: West Wiltshire, North Wiltshire, South Wiltshire and Kennet (East Wiltshire).

"The winning villages in each district were then judged against each other in the county round, using fresh judging teams including individual judges from Wiltshire Council."

The Winterbournes took the large village prize followed by Bratton and Great Bedwyn in equal second and Brinkworth fourth.

Biddestone was second in the medium village group followed by Biddestone, Edgington and Dinton.

Among the small villages Upper and Lower Seagry were second, Bishopstrow third and Ansty fourth.

Judges found the standard very high and there was little to criticise.

Each winning village will be presented with an eight foot standard with mounted shield on September 25.

Winning villages from 2014 and 2015 were not allowed to enter the main contest but could compete for the Laurence Kitching Award in the winner of winners competition.

This was won by Aldbourne while Milton Lilbourne took the newcomers award.