A VILLAGE on the outskirts of Darwen has scooped a top prize in Lancashire's Best Kept Village contest -- ending a 22-year award drought.

Belmont has won the best first-time entry, the first trophy to be won by Blackburn with Darwen since Chapeltown took the runner up prize in the small village class in 1978.

Other first prizes went to Waddington, in the best small village class, St Peter and St Paul's Church, Stydd, in the certificate of merit for places of worship and grounds class, Hurst Green, in the public toilets class, Old Langho, in the most improved small village and hamlet class, the Wheelton war memorial and Belmont's commemorative obelisk.

The Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Rev Alan Chesters, who was the finals judge, will present the prizes in Staining Village at 2.30pm on October 21.

He said: "I was most impressed by the standard reached in the villages selected as finalists, but also in the high standards of many of the other communities involved in the competition. At this level the decisions as to first and second are far from easy." The other winners were: Champion class, highly commended: Chipping. Large village class, highly commended: Ribchester. Small village, runner up: Belmont; highly commended: Chapeltown; Pendleton. Hamlets class, runner up: Bashall Eaves, highly commended: Walker Fold; Stydd. Certificate of merit for places of worship and grounds, highly commended: St Peter's, Belmont. School and grounds, highly commended: St Mary's, Chipping, St Mary's RC, Sabden; St John's CE, Read. Shops, highly commended: Pendle Antiques, Sabden; Proctor's General Store, Chipping; Keith Melling, Fence; Cosgrove's House of Colour, Whalley; J and S Cropper, Sabden; Sabden Post Office. Public house or inn, highly commended: Black Dog, Belmont; Chetham Arms, Chapeltown; Swan with Two Necks, Pendleton; Simonstone Hotel; Petre Arms, Langho; Fanney Grey, Salterforth. Hotel or restaurant, highly commended: Pendle Heritage Centre Tea Rooms, Barrowford. Caravan park, highly commended: Pendle Vale, Roughlee; and Lower Green Hill, Salterforth. Farm, highly commended: Meadowcroft, Chapeltown. Noticeboards, highly commended: Chapeltown; Wheelton. War memorial, highly commended: Hurst Green. Special features, runner up: Restored Lancashire cheese press, Bashall Eaves; highly commended: Waddington Coronation Gardens; Belmont Watertrough; Chapeltown Memorial Garden. Almshouses, senior citizens and sheltered accommodation, highly commended: St Clement's Court, Barrowford; and The Almshouses, Stydd. Bowling greens, highly commended: Sabden.