Dartmouth has clocked a major floral coup which could see the town battling for a place in the national bloom finals for only the second time in the town's history.

Dartmouth has been invited to represent the whole of the South West in this year's Britain in Bloom awards.

If the town wins through, it will be the first time in its history that it has managed to snatch a national accolade in decades of bloom competitions.

Dartmouth has been invited to compete in the coastal towns with a population up to 12,000 category, said Dartmouth in Bloom spokesman Sue Thomson. The invitation came in just before Christmas, she added.

'To actually win the finals would be absolutely incredible,' said Sue. 'There are 17 regions altogether each with a coastal town and we are up against a lot. It is going to be great for the whole town and hopefully we will get the organisations and businesses behind us as well as the county and district councils. We will need everyone behind us on this one.'

The town has won awards in virtually every one of the 33 years it has been entering the Britain in Bloom awards scheme.

Over the years it has clocked up gold trophies and fistfuls of other awards in the competition.

But they have always been in the south west regional section.

The town has only ever made it through to the national finals once before and then it came away empty handed, explained Sue.

Sue said to be invited to compete to represent the whole of the south west as 'quite a coup' for Dartmouth.

'They have been looking at what we have been doing over a period of time – especially what we have have done over the last two or three years,' said Sue.

'They have also been very pleased with what South Hams Council has done with Royal Avenue Gardens with the Diamond Jubilee crown and the wildflowers last year.

'To win the finals would be incredible. We have to give it 100 per cent this year and hopefully everyone will be backing us and supporting us.'