Havering Council has won seven awards in the prestigious London in Bloom competition.

One of the awards took first place in the annual competition’s Biodiversity Award category – which shows a wide range of local plants and wildlife.

Judges commented on the “clean and tidy” borough; praised the work of council staff and residents for looking after highway plant beds and schemes, parks and open spaces; and complimented the work done to open up Rainham Marshes to the public and create a new nature reserve there.

Havering won: the London in Bloom Biodiversity Award for the second year running; Large Park of the Year for Bedford’s Park (gold award); Country Park of the Year for Hornchurch Country Park (gold award); London City Award (silver gilt); Park of the Year for Langton’s Gardens (silver gilt); London in Bloom Allotment Award for Keats Avenue Allotments, Harold Hill (second place).

Judges said in the summing up: “Council officers throughout the borough have done a lot of work with the local residents, to improve the borough and their hard work is paying off.

“Rainham Marshes and Bedford’s Park are really superb and the staff have done great work to keep them at a very high standard.”

Havering Mayor, Cllr Lynden Thorpe, accepted the awards on behalf of the council. She said: “This is a really superb result for us. We always knew we had a green and pleasant borough, but to receive the official seal of approval from a prestigious body as London in Bloom is just wonderful.”