A HUDDERSFIELD cul-de-sac has been transformed into a blooming paradise.

Town Place, off Leeds Road, now explodes with colour thanks to the hard work of three green- fingered residents.

It has won a clutch of awards in the Community Garden Awards organised by Kirklees Council and the police - and has seen householders sitting out until the early hours enjoying the new look in the balmy weather.

Nigel Cox, 39, his brother Stephen, 43, and John Haigh, 59 were behind the transformation. Residents put £250 into a kitty to fund the gang's ambitious planting, pruning and weeding mission.

"We thought we'd pep the place up for people who couldn't do it themselves," said John.

Elderly and infirm residents made sure the trio had plenty of tea and snacks. The three men have been working on the 10 gardens and the comm- unal area since June.

"It just shows what you can do with a small area," said Nigel, who won first prize in the tubs, boxes and containers category.

Angela Payne, 61, and Carol Cunning, 53, of Town Place, won runners-up prizes.

They will receive awards during a ceremony at the McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield, on August 20.

"We are already planning for winter flowering plants to go in some of the baskets," said Nigel, whose garden contains more than 20 varieties of colourful flowers.

One 81-year-old woman said she and her 96-year- old neighbour loved the change: "If you had seen what this was like before, you wouldn't have believed they had done all this.

"It's an absolute miracle. You wake up in the morning and look out and think you're in the wrong place. It was a tip."