Two villages that excel at picking up litter have picked up the coveted top prizes in the Scarborough and Pickering Best Kept Village Competition.

Snainton has been chosen as the winner of the large village class in the contest, which is sponsored by Calor Gas, the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England and the Yorkshire Rural Community Council. It was one of 12 villages competing in the class, which it also won last year.

Snainton will now go forward as the Scarborough and Pickering area representative in the Calor Gas/Daily Telegraph National Village of the Year competition,

Meanwhile, Scagglethorpe scooped the honours out of 29 entrants in the small village class, which it last won in 1995. The total entry of 41 in both classes was whittled down to nine for the final round.

Event organiser Norma Brett, on behalf of the Yorkshire Rural Community Council, said: "The final judge was very impressed with all the finalists and found it a very difficult task to select the winners.

"The absence of litter and the high standard of private gardens was noticeable in most of all the entries."

In the large village class, Thornton-le-Dale moved up to second place after coming third last year - a position occupied by Sherburn in this year's contest. Aislaby, which was chosen as best small village in both 1996 and last year, was pushed into second place this time around, while Brompton-by-Sawdon had to be content with third place after coming second last year.

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