JUDGES from the Heart of England in Bloom competition had the chance to see Malvern at its best when they visited the town yesterday (Thursday).

Judges Roger Bache and Mark Wiltshire from the Royal Horticultural Society were given a guided tour of the town by Malvern in Bloom chairman John Jordan.

The morning of the visit started with uncertainty, after a concerned resident reported to police that the Temperance Fountain on the Link Common - a major feature of the In Bloom judging route - had been vandalised.

However the concern proved a false alarm.

The fountain was decorated by Malvern Spa Association who - bearing in mind that it had been vandalised during the well dressing festival this spring - had dismantled most elements of the decoration and hidden them behind a nearby tree overnight, before reconstructing the display yesterday morning.

Dr John Harcup, of the spa association, said: "The judges were suitably impressed when they saw it, and they asked a lot of questions about our well-dressing festival and how it differs from well-dressing in Derbyshire. They were very interested in the community aspect of the well dressing."

Mr Jordan said the thought the judges were impressed by the various sites they saw. The tour started off at the Cube, in Albert Road North, where they inspected the vegetable garden that provides produce for the venue's cafe.

"They were very interested in the wide variety of groups that use the Cube and spoke to several of them who were there,"Mr Jordan said.

"They were particularly impressed by Santler Court in Malvern Link. Only the front gardens were part of this year's Bloom entry, but the residents were so enthusiastic about their back gardens that they persuaded the judges to take a look at them. The judges came back out and were very pleased with what they saw."

He said other highlights included Barnards Green, which attracted praise for its cleanliness, and Rose Bank Gardens, in the town centre.

He said: "All we have to do now is wait until the winners are announced in mid-September. I would like to thank everyone who assisted in this year's Bloom entry for all their efforts."