HOYLAKE Railway station has won the prestigious Wirral Award for a second year running.

It received the accolade for best kept station during the 16th Cheshire Best Kept Stations Awards ceremony this week.

Ellesmere Port also won the Roberts Bakery award for most improved station in Cheshire and Alsager railway station was named Cheshire's Best Kept Station 2018.

The awards were presented before 160 guests at The Grange Theatre in Hartford, Northwich by Professor Garfield Southall, Dean of Science and Engineering at the University of Chester and Chair of North Cheshire Community Rail Partnership.

He said: "It has been a great pleasure for me to present these awards this evening and it has been an eye-opener to see how much volunteering there is on our railway stations in Cheshire."

The Friends of Hoylake and Meols in Bloom community group has played a large part in the station's success story.

Jan Foster, from The Friends of Hoylake and Meols in Bloom, said: "Our aim is to make Hoylake and Meols a lovely place to visit, live, work and play.

"We do this by making the towns 'smile' with flowers.

"The stations are a huge part of this as it is often the first impression and lasting memory of our town for visitors and can cheer people up on the way to work and welcome them home after a hard day."

Mayor Geoffrey Watt said: "On behalf of the staff, passengers and residents who use Hoylake station day in, day out, I'm thrilled that Cheshire Best Kept Stations have honoured them with this award."

Andy Heath, managing director of Merseyrail said: "This is a wonderful event which says thank you to all those people who work tirelessly to ensure their local, train stations remain at the heart of their communities.

"We are always amazed and humbled by the myriad of ways that people find to transform their stations."

Further details can be found at bestkeptstations.org.uk