Like many new towns Crawley has attracted its fair share of detractors - not to mention the nickname "Creepy".

Adjectives like "pretty" or "beautiful" have not been applied quite so often.

Town planners, fed up with having to stare at the grim, forbidding efforts of their forebears, are considering demolishing half the town and starting again.

But green-fingered volunteers have done wonders to compensate for Creepy Crawley's breeze-block image by covering it in flowers.

Now they have surprised the horticultural world - and themselves - by winning the South East in Bloom competition.

For two years running, Crawley had been pipped at the post by its more genteel neighbour, Guildford, in the city category.

But this year the town fended off local rivals, including favourites Worthing and Brighton, to be voted top, as well as winning a special Chairman's Award for community involvement.

Crawley's In Bloom co-ordinator Christine Aldous said: "Everyone involved was absolutely flabbergasted to win gold.

"I think the judges came to Crawley with an idea of what they might find and were just bowled over to see so much greenness."

Ruth Growney, 48, of Tilgate, dedicates hours of her spare time to beautifying Crawley.

She said: "You have to visit Crawley to appreciate what it is really like. There is so much open green space and parks. It is not creepy at all."

Another town which took people by surprise was Newhaven, which won the overall best town category thanks to the work of a residents' committee.

Chairman Dave Fitton said: "I think that's where we have one over on other towns because here it really is from the heart."

Judges who visited Brighton and Hove awarded the city a silver award, praising Kemp Town, the Weald allotments in Hove, Foredown Tower in Portslade, St Ann's Well Gardens in Hove, Brighton Square, Manor Way, Essex Place, Warwick Mount, The Bath Arms and the Royal Spa Nursery in Brighton.

The competition attracted 40 entries from across Sussex, Kent and Surrey.

Peter Holman, chairman of South East in Bloom, said: "As usual, the standard of this year's entries was extremely high and this has been reflected in the number of entries being awarded the silver gilt and gold standards."