Litterbugs wrec-ked the bid by Worthing to win a prestigious award.

Judges from the South East in Bloom competition visited the town last month and were confronted with empty fast-food containers, bottles and cans.

But despite the rubbish, Worthing still went on to win second place in the large town category of the competition, behind Guildford.

Judges said they were impressed with many aspects of the town and felt it had a lot to offer but it was let down by the litter.

Their report said: "It was unfortunate that there is a litter problem, despite plentiful litter bins being available.

"Perhaps an approach to the fast-food outlets and off-licences in the area for help in this regard should be considered, as it would appear it is their customers who are not using the bins."

Town centre manager Clare Potter said she was delighted at the result.

She said: "It says a lot for the hard work and effort put in by the whole team that we did so well.

Unfortunately the judges had come at around lunchtime on a busy day and there were a lot of children in the town centre who were dropping rubbish no matter how many times we went around clearing up.

"We are a tourist town with a lot of visitors and it is impossible to keep up with the amount of rubbish dropped at all times, although people are doing their best.

"However, in spite of the rubbish we still managed to come second which is a great result."

Worthing Council health officers are in negotiations with larger food companies such as McDonalds in the town centre inTown is let down by litter in award bid a bid to sort the litter problem out.

McDonalds already supplies bins around its store and sends staff on litter patrols in the immediate area.

The council has also removed benches in the Liverpool Gardens area of the town in a bid to stop drunks who gather there, leaving empty cans and bottles behind.

Newsagent Keith Edwards, who works in Montague Street, said: "This is a really nice town when it is properly done up but we do have a problem with rubbish and bottles in some areas. If that could have been dealt with then we might have won."

A council spokesman said: "A great deal of effort went into making Worthing look really good on the day of the competition.

"The judges did see some rubbish and bottles but we had done everything we could.

"People with drinking problems are regularly gathering in the town centre with cans and bottles and this is something we are trying to address by working with police, the Worthing Town Initiative and local businesses."

Steyning beat off two other West Sussex towns to come top of the small country category.

Bramber, near Steyning, won the trophy for the best village with a population of less than 600.

Pupils at Palatine School in Goring, Worthing, grabbed top prize in the Young Gardeners' Award for their many horticultural projects.

Winners will receive their awards at a ceremony in Hove on Thursday, October 12.