ALLOTMENTS across Andover welcomed in 17 new and colourful residents as part of an annual competition.

The Andover Town Council’s Allotment Scarecrow competition took place earlier this month with winners recently presented with their certificates at a prizegiving ceremony at the town’s Guildhall.

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The yearly event is run to encourage allotment owners to spruce up their patch and to grow the community spirit within each site.

Former town council chairman Veronika Pond judged the competition, selecting an overall winner from each of the five sites taking part.

Louise Hearne and her childminding group were selected as the Barlows Lane winner, for their scarecrow ‘Sgt A Gardener’.

Talking about their military themed entry, Louise said: “We decided to make our scarecrow as an army man as a majority of my minded families are military.

“Along with my brother-in-law who provided the uniform for us we had help from my dad and my wonderful husband who made the amazing gun out of one piece of wood.

“The children and I had wonderful time making Sgt A Gardener so he can look after our veggies and also my little group of blossoming children.

“All the children were so happy and proud to find that we had won.”

Other winners included Eric Male’s entry, made with grandchildren May, Finley, Jaime and Toby, who were crowned Mylen Road champions and Rita Keeley who won The Drove’s competition with her scarecrow, made out of recycled material.

Joy Matthews and grandchildren Poppy, Hamish, Florence and Olive were selected as Old Winton Road’s winners with ‘Bob and Buster’, while Glyn Black triumphed for Vigo with ‘Burt the scarecrow’.

Adam Scowen and children Bobby, Harry and Daisy scooped the title for Churchill Way.

Judge Veronika Pond praised the ‘high quality’ of entries at the council’s award ceremony.

Organiser and council allotment organiser Lisa Lang was also full of praise for entrants as well as the impact of the competition.

She said: “It went brilliantly.

“The idea of the competition was to bring families and friends together and strengthen the community spirit in the allotments.

“It was so nice seeing people really get into it.”

All of the winners received pumpkin and sunflower seed packets as a prize.