Green-fingered Ron Craig has got a top award for his services to allotment activities - even though he and his mates are banned from their plots.

But Mr Craig, 64, vowed today he would carry on campaigning to get back on to the allotment at Frizinghall, Bradford.

The 20 allotment holders have been confined to their greenhouses for more than a year because arsenic was found on the site where they grew their prize fruit and vegetables.

They were forced out more than a year ago while the Council tried to find the funds needed to decontaminate the "poison" land.

But they fought to stay because they had been growing produce for more than 30 years and believed the soil was harmless.

Yesterday, the down in the dumps allotment holders -who even have to import their own soil to the greenhouses - were unable to take part in the annual allotment competition, because there was no section purely for greenhouses.

But Mr Craig, of Poplar Drive, Shipley, was one of three stalwarts to get special awards for outstanding services from the judges.

The council said he had worked hard and kept things going in very difficult circumstances.

The other special award winners were Simon Pollard, of Keighley, working with the Cellar Project at Marley Stadium, Keighley, and Charles Scanlon, of Eccleshill, secretary of Eccleshill Horticultural Society.

Judges said the standard of entries throughout the district excellent. Simon Cooke, the council's executive member for the economy, and one of the judges, said: "The increasing interest in this competition, which is now in its fifth year, shows the success of our policy to promote the use of allotments throughout the district."

Mr Craig said: "I am delighted about the award, but I am very sorry that we were not able to enter in the main category. Some of the greenhouses are very, very good.

"But all we want is to get back onto our allotments. We can grow tomatoes, cucumber, and grapes, but at this time of the year we would normally be eating our cabbages and carrots at the dinner table."

Judges in the competition were Councillor John Briggs, Jim Juby, of seed merchants D T Brown, which sponsored the competition, and Derek Humphreys, of the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners.

Moorside Road, Eccleshill, was judged best allotment site in Bradford, with Charlie Scanlon winning best plot and Fred Kirkbright judged runner-up.

The best allotment site in Keighley was Marley Road, with Raymond Gregory, of Beck Lane allotments, winning best plot and A Swainston, of Beck Lane, runner- up.

Charlestown, Baildon, was the best outer district site with Michael Duffy, of Park Road allotments, Thackley winning blest plot and Vince Kotroczo, of Charlestown, runner up.

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