BRAIN-injured tenants in Thundersley dug their way to victory by winning two top prizes in a gardening competition.

The four-strong team from Starling Close won the Best Overall Garden and Best Hanging Baskets awards in a contest run by housing association Family Mosaic.

The gardeners put in a great deal of effort to nurture their blooms, planted around the block's aviary.

Terry Blackman, Family Mosaic's housing officer and contest organiser, said: "The judges felt their garden was the prettiest, best kept and the most effort had gone into it. It was quite a close result, as all the other schemes had nice gardens as well."

Youngsters at Tate House in Laindon, a scheme for young people leaving care, were also named the joint winners of the Best Pots and Tubs category, alongside tenants from Pioneer House in Chelmsford.