CHIPPING Norton has scrambled into the lead in a national competition to be named the best market town High Street in the UK with closest rival Helmsley, in Yorkshire, knocked into second place.

The Cotswold town is one of three finalists in the competition and is vying for top spot alongside the Yorkshire town and Colne, in Lancashire, which is currently third.

Five weeks into the six-week public voting period for the Great British High Street competition, Chipping Norton has had a recent surge in voting, allowing it to leapfrog its Yorkshire rival.

But it's not only down to the public as the town has been visited by the judges who account for 50 per cent of the final decision. The other half comes from voters.

But organisers are still worried the lead may fall away and are urging people to up the ante and keep voting while the opportunity is there.

Shaun Fagan, from Experience Chipping Norton, who entered the town in the competition, said: “We’ve had an exciting fortnight featuring a number of events to highlight the competition, and we’ve decorated the town to commemorate the judges’ visit.

“I’ve sensed a real momentum shift in support. It feels like we have everyone in Chipping Norton behind us but we need them all to keep voting to make sure we stay at the top.”

Residents also went all out to decorate the town after Great British High Street judge Andy Godfrey visited to give his verdict.

Winners in each of the seven categories get a share of a prize pot worth £80,000, which includes expert training and tailor-made tips from Google’s training taskforce.

The team behind the bid is urging local people to help them win and to carry on voting.

Between now and November 13 anyone interested can vote online at chippy2win.com