RESIDENTS in Pickmere are celebrating the dramatic improvements in the village that have led to it winning a Best Kept Village award.

The village recently won the Civic Pride award for areas with 400 to 600 residents, following on from its 'most improved' award last year.

A tree has been planted in the village to mark the achievement.

Clr Virginia Brown, vice chairman of Pickmere Parish Council, said it was quite an achievement for the village.

She said: "We've been at the bottom end of things for years. I'm delighted that we've won this award. It's been very much a communal effort."

Clr Brown said everyone had helped to keep the village tidy and many people had planted bulbs and kept the park in good condition.

She said: "Everyone has made a serious effort to achieve this."

Clr Brown said the village had suffered in the past because of problems with jet skis on the lake and also because of major housing developments that meant Pickmere's population had almost doubled 'overnight'.

She added: "We've acquired some land from the lake and set about making changes and improvements to the village.

"We're finally getting our reward."