CHRISTMAS has come early for one East Anglian tree grower – it's going to provide Downing Street with some festive sparkle. Spruces belonging to the Rougham Estate, near Bury St Edmunds, were placed first in a competition to find the country's best Christmas tree – and one of the prize-winning pines will now be covered in baubles before taking centre stage outside 10 Downing Street.

CHRISTMAS has come early for one East Anglian tree grower – it's going to provide Downing Street with some festive sparkle.

Spruces belonging to the Rougham Estate, near Bury St Edmunds, were placed first in a competition to find the country's best Christmas tree – and one of the prize-winning pines will now be covered in baubles before taking centre stage outside 10 Downing Street.

The annual competition is run by the British Christmas Tree Growers Association, which picks the prettiest pines on the basis of foliage, cleanliness and uniformity.

More than 50 growers entered this year's contest and Rougham Estate's entry was placed overall first.

George Agnew, one of the estate's owners, said: "We are absolutely thrilled to win this prize. We have been growing Christmas trees at Rougham for over 40 years and this represents the culmination of many years of effort on the part of a lot of people.

"It will be one of the proudest moments of my life to see a Rougham tree standing outside the front door of Number 10 Downing Street."