The Cemetery of the Year Competition 2002 was launched by the Memorial Awareness Board (MAB) this month.

The competition, which aims to dig out Britain\'s best burial ground, has been running for five years with entries from cemeteries and crematoria all over the UK.

The competition was devised to make burial authorities and the public aware of what beautiful and tranquil places cemeteries can be and reward those who put the work into running them.

Cemeteries can provide a wealth of social and historical information as well as being a vital area of green space, as well as a place to commemorate and remember the lives of the deceased.

The awards are rigorously judged on a wide range of criteria including maintenance, facffities, burial choice and imaginative landscaping. The competition is open to any British cemetery, burial ground, churchyard or crematorium. Closing date for entries is Friday 26 April.

Jeannie Wyness, co ordinator of the awards, said: "We are delighted the awards continue to capture the imagination of the public and the press. This year we have created a new category for smaller cemeteries, which we hope wifi encourage more parish cemeteries and churchyards to enter."

This years\' award ceremony will take place on 17 September in Scarborough.