Council insists Ludlow is still beautiful after town not put forward for Britain in Bloom

Ludlow has successfully claimed gold in the competition part of the Britain in Bloom programme multiple times, but is not entering this year.

A councillor who represents the town on Shropshire Council and is also the chair of Ludlow in Bloom has expressed her outrage at the 'dingy' state of the town, claiming that it has not been entered into this year's contest because of litter on the streets.

Councillor Viv Parry told the BBC that it was only the second time in 25 years that the town has not been entered into the competition.

The Liberal Democrat councillor described the town as "a little bit dingy" to the BBC, adding: "I've really never seen rubbish like it - we've got rats running all over this food waste in Castle Street car park.

"The smaller bins are being emptied, but not at weekends. [It's] piled high with rubbish in the square."

Ludlow Town Council has confirmed that it was not councillors' decision not to enter the town into the contest, but Ludlow in Bloom's, and that it will ask Shropshire Council to undertake its duties as the litter authority for the county.

The town council believes that Ludlow still looks great thanks to funding for flowers.

A statement from the town council said "Ludlow Town Council is delighted that the funding they granted to Ludlow in Bloom for flowers has been used to adorn Ludlow's hanging baskets and street planters, and whilst Ludlow may not be perfect, it is still blooming beautiful.

"The town council is disappointed that Ludlow in Bloom has decided not to enter the Heart of England in Bloom competition this year."

Meanwhile, fellow Lib Dem councillor Andy Boddington, who regularly discusses local matters on his blog, denied there is a 'litter crisis' in the town, and insisted this was not the reason for Ludlow not being entered into the competition.

He wrote: "I was disturbed to hear Viv Parry talking the town down on BBC Radio Shropshire over litter in the town centre. She made it sound like there is a litter crisis in the town centre. There is not.

"There have been hotspots of litter, Castle Street car park, for example. But that is fine at the moment. Bins are emptied regularly. I have not heard reports of rats. And it is nonsense to blame the cancellation of Ludlow's entry into Ludlow in Bloom because of the litter.

"If there is litter, it will be cleaned by Shropshire Council's deep clean of the town centre area early on judging day."