SQUEAKY-CLEAN Huddersfield town centre has been voted the county's most spotless.

Judges from Keep Britain Tidy have awarded the town the trophy for Yorkshire and Humberside in the Beautiful Britain In Bloom competition.

The great news follows last year's crushing shame - when grot spots, graffiti and litter forced town centre bosses to withdraw from the contest.

But this time, Huddersfield has really cleaned up its act.

And its hard work paid off with the town also coming second in the Large Town Centre category for its eye-catching floral decorations, tubs and 360 hanging baskets.

The winner, by a single point, was Halifax which achieved 175 marks to Huddersfield's 174.

Delighted Kirklees Council and the Huddersfield Town Centre Association say a team effort has helped to transform Huddersfield's shabby streets into spotless avenues.

John Moore, chairman of the Association, said: "Obviously we are very pleased.

"This is a great achievement, but this isn't the end it is just the beginning of keeping the town centre clean.

"The trick is to keep the momentum going and to continue to tap in on all the hard work from a lot of people which has made this award possible."

Clr John Smithson, Cabinet member for regeneration, said: "We have been judged as the tidiest town in the region. This is all the more significant because we had to withdraw from the Yorkshire in Bloom competition last year because of litter and graffiti."

Sheer hard work and determination has been the secret of Huddersfield's success.

And judges who visited the town in July this year said there had been a marked transformation.

"We have been really impressed with the vast improvement," they said.

Judges Frank Robinson and Richard Hibbert were escorted round the streets by Alison Campbell and Julia Lilof, of Huddersfield Town Centre Management.

Huddersfield beat stiff opposition to snatch the title.

The judges were impressed by:

* Graffiti-busting special coating on town centre underpasses at Springwood and Trinity Street which can be immediately wiped clean.

* Huddersfield Tidy Trader competition with more than 70 businesses taking part this year from 20 last year. Shops and businesses are encouraged to keep the outside of their properties neat, clean and attractive with the results of this year's competition being revealed later this month.

* Kirklees Street Wardens who tour Huddersfield's streets and help with graffiti-cleaning, dog-fouling and litter.

* Kirklees cleansing staff who empty bins and clean the streets.

* Town centre mason Alan Hodgson, part of the council's Streetcare team, who repairs broken flagstones and helps out in other areas where needed.