AN AWARD-WINNING community group has decided to take a year off from competing in the prestigious South West in Bloom competition.

Members of Nailsea in Bloom have taken the decision after achieving three gold awards in the past three years.

Despite not taking part in the competition, the group has vowed to continue creating impressive, colourful displays around the town.

Nailsea in Bloom chairman Martyn Davies said: “We have gained a lot from the competition - it has helped us set standards of what we wanted to achieve and encouraged us to make continuing improvements.

“Our success in the competition has been outstanding.

“In our first year we were given a silver award, then we had three silver gilts and have won a gold in each of the past three years.

“It is time for us now to concentrate on our planting in and around Nailsea and have a break from the competition.

“We will be keeping up the high standards of planting we have set ourselves in recent years, making sure Nailsea stays as colourful as ever.”

Nailsea in Bloom volunteers work throughout the year to keep the town looking colourful and most recently, the group has created a new shrub bed in the Station Road car park.

In May, the group will be putting out summer bedding plants in containers and flower beds.