BETTWS was under the spotlight yesterday as the Britain in Bloom competition's judges arrived.

Judges Walter Gilmour, from Glasgow, and Ian Wilson, from County Antrim in Northern Ireland, were given a tour of the area's floral attractions on an overcast day by its ward councillor, Noel Trigg.

Bettws's entry was for the Britain in Bloom urban community category, which came as a result of Newport's automatic entry in the city category following victory in last year's Wales in Bloom competition.

Mr Wilson said: "I am very impressed by what I have seen and by the tremendous effort the people of Bettws have put into their gardens."

Both judges were keen to emphasise that the message about the joys of gardening and flowers should be made accessible to the community as a whole.

Mr Gilmour said: "I grew up in a tough area of Dundee but the people of the area took pride in their gardens and as a result the area always looked nice."

Bettws in Bloom secretary Colin Cashman said: "The problem we face is that the people who are interested in gardening are retired people or those from an older generation.

"The challenge is to make it attractive to children and young people so that they can enjoy the feeling of satisfaction and pride they can get from building a lovely garden from nothing."

Bettws must wait until October 2 before finding out if it has been successful.