A GOLD award has joined the collection of accolades at a college near York as the horticultural department notches up a hat trick of successes.

Askham Bryan College has won the final regional round of a national landscaping competition, following two awards at the 2005 Harrogate Spring Flower Show.

The Askham Bryan team took the honours in the UK Landscape Skills competition and now goes forward to the national final in September. If successful, they will represent the UK in the 2007 World Skills Contest in Japan.

To win the award, the students went head-to-head against three other colleges. They all had to follow a brief to create a landscaped garden over six-and-a-half hours against the clock.

The Askham Bryan team included Robert Brooks, 23, who is studying for a Higher National Diploma in horticulture and Andy Lewis, 18, a first-year student studying for a Diploma in Horticulture.

Joining the line-up was Tim Lancaster, 19, who is studying for a National Diploma in Horticulture and Keith Chapman, 19, who is studying for a National Diploma in Horticulture Level 3 and is employed by Lowmill Landscapes.

Harry Turner, Askham Bryan's lecturer in landscape construction, said: "This is a major achievement. The competition is structured to mirror a real commercial brief so the students had to work to a given plan. It is extremely challenging and one of the benefits is that is shows the importance of working as a team and to a professional specification."

Updated: 10:36 Saturday, June 18, 2005