THE Dorset Village of the Year competition is set to be the best yet with 43 villages vying for the prestigious title.

Winners will be announced at a prizegiving evening for the Best Kept Village and Best Community Village at Martinstown Village Hall starting at 7.45pm on Thursday, October 17.

Dorset Community Action administer for the competition and organiser Francis Cade said the standard was improving every year.

He added: "The standard is extremely high. It is amazing how much effort people put in to keep villages going and they all do a wonderful job.

"In the Best Kept Village section we arrive unannounced in the village to look at public areas which should be clean, tidy and weed and litter free and they are given a percentage mark for various features.

"For Best Community Village representatives are invited to put forward a presentation on how they organise village life in keeping it active for both younger and older people."

Francis will be joined by Eileen Bryan, vice president of Dorset Community Action and a judge for each district to make the selections.

Main sponsors Calor Gas provide the £100, £75 and £50 prizes for first, second and third in both categories and W&S Recycling have donated cash awards for any other villages that receive high marks. The Dorset Echo gives out the prize in the Previous Winners category.

This is open to any villages that have been awarded the title over the past five years.

Dorset County Council will give plaques to the district winners.

Trees and shrubs are also being donated to selected villages from the International Tree Foundation.

Judges will select an overall Village of the Year which will be put forward to the South Regional competition.

Village representatives are urged to complete their attendance forms for the evening awards ceremony by September 30.