SALE tradesman Paul Tootill has been shortlisted for creating one of the five best landscaping jobs in the north in a competition run by Travis Perkins and fronted by TV presenter Melinda Messenger.

Paul, who runs Paul Tootill Landscaping, was selected from the hundreds of entries that flooded in from customers across the region.

The winner of the grand final will be invited to meet Melinda Messenger along with a panel of experts from the Travis Perkins landscaping team at a VIP lunch at Kensington Roof Gardens, London before jetting off on a city break for two.

Paul impressed the judges with his entry, a peace garden at St Anne’s Lydgate Primary School in Oldham. The project was installed over a 12-month period and includes a thinking corner, music corner, wildflower borders and a pond.

The 51 year old says: “It’s a terrific honour to be nominated by one of my customers for the work I do and then to be shortlisted as one of the top fivejobs in the region. Jobs like these are a real labour of love and it’s a great feeling when you know you’re making a difference for the customer.

“Making the final of the Travis Perkins High 5 contest is a badge of honour for my business - now I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Melinda Messenger is impressed too.”

Melinda, the presenter of TV’s Cowboy Builders, says: “Travis Perkins put the shout out to find the country’s best landscaping jobs and we’ve all been blown away by the quality of entries that have come in.

“From garden transformations to driveways and public spaces, British landscapers are coming up with creative and beautiful solutions for their clients. Now we have the finalists, the really hard work will be picking a winner!”

The winner of the very best landscaping job in the north will be announced at the end of September.