The scent of success is wafting through a seaside village as it enters the finals of a competition for the most beautiful coastal resort in Britain.

Rottingdean may not have the prettiest name but the little village, just to the east of Brighton, is one of eight to make it to the finals of the Britain In Bloom competition's coastal town category.

Villagers have spent months preening their gardens and picking litter off the streets in the hope that Rottingdean could take this year's title but they are up against some stiff competition.

It will go up against Cleethorpes, near Grimsby in Lincolnshire, Criccieth in Gwynedd, North Wales, Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, North Berwick on the East Lothian coast of Scotland, Saltburn by the Sea, near Middlesbrough, Sidmouth in Devon, and Whitehead in Northern Ireland.

Sidmouth is a heavyweight. It has been in the Britain In Bloom competition since 1973 and only failed to win trophies in 1989 and 1996.

North Berwick has been in the competition since 1990.

It is awash with colourful hanging baskets and has teams of volunteers sent out on regular litter patrols.

In Whitehead, Northern Ireland, residents have been encouraged to think of their gardens as an extension of the town's green space and put out as many hanging baskets as possible.

Peter Hampton, 78, of The Green, is a member of the Rottingdean In Bloom committee.

He said: "We are up against some well-known resorts so I just don't know whether we are in with a good chance.

"It would have been better if there had been a category for seaside villages."

He said people had been working to keep their gardens in pristine condition and members of the committee were going out picking up litter regularly.

He said: "We have a committee member, Paddy McDee, who goes out every morning at 6.30am to water the flower beds and hanging baskets. Everybody has put in a tremendous effort."

Sally Prince, of Elvin Crescent, is also on the committee.

She said: "Our success in the competition depends on the commitment of the community and people have responded well to the challenge, keeping their gardens beautiful and making sure they have displays of hanging baskets.

"We are all immensely proud of the work put in by the village."