A PUB landlord whose beer garden was voted as among the worst ten in the country said he will transform the area - after listening to his mum. Richard Hayden, landlord at the 600-year-old The White Horse in Finningham near Stowmarket, said while he has managed to plough money into refurbishing the inside of the inn, there is so much more he would love to do outside.

A PUB landlord whose beer garden was voted as among the worst ten in the country said he will transform the area - after listening to his mum.

Richard Hayden, landlord at the 600-year-old The White Horse in Finningham near Stowmarket, said while he has managed to plough money into refurbishing the inside of the inn, there is so much more he would love to do outside.

His mum Barbara Hayden agreed and put his business forward for a national competition to win a £10,000 makeover by TV celebrity Charlie Dimmock.

The ten worst gardens in Britain were named and shamed, after being nominated by drinkers, landlords and the odd relative, up and down the country.

The White Horse made the list beating hundreds but just missed out on the celebrity transformation. However Mr Hayden has decided that the unloved area should still be made-over and has committed up to £5,000 and will undertake much of the work himself to keep costs down.

The land is very sparse at the moment with little to attract drinkers and a spokesman for Ronseal, who organised the competition, said the White Horse's beer garden was not as bad as some of the nominations, but was selected because it has so much potential that lay unfulfilled.

Mr Hayden wanted to create a play area for the children, games for the family, benches, outdoor dining area, barbecue section or any fencing to separate the garden from the car park.

He said: “We were in the last ten from hundreds and hundreds of pubs and although there was no official first, second or third spots we believe we were in the last two or three and were pipped to the post.

“We are getting a runner up prize of garden maintenance products and now within the next few weeks hope to add to the garden, with benches, a pub games area, new fencing, an area for barbecues, tables and chairs.

“We would love to have won a visit from Charlie but we will crack on anyway and transform the garden ourselves.”

n. Do you think the garden needs a makeover? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or email eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk