FOUR decades of good citizenship and community pride were celebrated at a hardy annual award ceremony.

Representatives from some of County Durham's smaller communities came together at County Hall for the 40th anniversary of the County Durham Tidy Village Competition.

The changing face of the county, in the years following the decline of traditional heavy industries, was reflected in the growing entry list, particularly from former coalfield communities in east Durham.

Guest award presenter, North-East architectural expert John Grundy, welcomed the inclusion of villages like Wheatley Hill and Shotton Colliery in this year's roll of honour.

County council chairman John Richardson said the ruby anniversary of the enduring awards scheme, "a gem of an event", was something to be celebrated.

He praised all 86 entrants for their efforts and particularly congratulated the winners who successfully passed through three rounds of rigorous judging.

"The number of entries has increased, particularly from former mining villages, and I'm sure next year even more will want to take part," said Coun Richardson.

Set up in 1959, the first awards were presented the following year, when 59 villages entered, competing for just a single trophy, put up by The Northern Echo's former owner, the Northern Counties Newspaper Company.

Further awards were added in 1961, with trophies donated by The Northern Echo, the Council for the Preservation of Rural England (CPRE) and the Durham division of the National Coal Board.

Other categories have since been added, including the Norman Richardson Trophy, after the late travel and tourism pioneer from Durham, and the Wear Valley Trophy.

Categories for children have been added in recent years to encourage environmental interest