PONTELAND has been selected to represent the Northumbria region in the Royal Horticultural Society Britain in Bloom UK finals 2017.

The town will follow in the footsteps of last year’s finalists, Corbridge and Bellingham, and join 77 other competing communities. The judges visit in August, with the winner announced in Llandudno in October.

Eileen Burn, chairman of Northumbria in Bloom, said: "The attractive town of Ponteland is a first-time entry into the national competition. It's a fantastic achievement."