Marlow has been awarded a certificate of merit in Buckinghamshire’s Best-Kept Village competition, after it was narrowly beaten by Winslow.

The town scored 86 per cent overall in the Michaelis Cup, which covers small towns, and Mayor Cllr Jocelyn Towns said it was given 100 per cent in many of the categories.

She said: “Top scores were awarded for the areas around the shops, the notice boards and the war memorial, and the town scored 90 per cent for its general environmental features, including hedges, verges, ponds and streams.”

Judges found Marlow to be “substantially free of litter” and showed “much evidence” of being a “vibrant and caring community, despite its “bustling nature and the large numbers of visitors it attracts”.

Cllr Towns added: “This competition is extremely competitive.

“We’re hugely proud of our town and of the efforts by the whole community to keep Marlow looking beautiful throughout the year. The judges’ comments were highly complimentary.”