JUBILANT north Cotswold villages have been breaking open the champagne this week after the area completed a clean sweep in the Bledisloe Cup competition.

Celebrating Lower Slaughter's win after a 20-year wait for glory are Gillie Lord (right) and Ronnie Watson.

Bourton won the search for Gloucestershire's best-kept large village, Willersey the medium category and Lower Slaughter the section for the smallest villages with populations of below 300.

In Bourton, which was runner-up last year, a delighted parish councillor Mary Saunders said: "I think it is marvellous news and a great credit to our maintenance people and all those who have helped in one way or another."

She added: "I'm very surprised because I didn't think we stood a chance because of all the visitors and the consequent litter, but we are very, very pleased."

Bourton's last win was in 1968 and Mrs Saunders said: "I just hope it isn't another 32 years before we win again."

Willersey, which won the medium-sized category, is no stranger to Bledisloe Cup glory having won the competition several times before, but parish council chairman Maurice Andrews still said: "We are very pleased indeed.

"It is run by the parish council and we have a list of volunteers who help but it is mainly a community effort."

Bourton - it's win surprised one of its parish councillors to the "visitors and consequent litter".

Judges commented on the lack of litter and the large number of community groups in the village and were so pleased that they entered the village as Gloucestershire's representative in the national Calor Gas/Daily Telegraph Great Britain Village of the Year awards.

Celebrating at Willersey. From left Maurice Andrews and Jennie Bond (seated). Back: Jean Moore, Ray Powell and Peter Taylor.

Although Lower Slaughter came second in 1999, its last win was in 1979, a sign that judges do not concentrate solely on the picturesque, so parish councillor Gillie Lord said: "We are absolutely delighted. We were more than pleased to be in the running again this year and when we heard we had won we were over the moon. Everybody has worked very hard."

The north Cotswolds also had a hat-trick of wins in 1995 when Mickleton, Bourton-on-the-Hill and Icomb took the honours, and in 1991 when it was Bourton-on-the-Hill, Bledington and Chipping Campden.