Redbourn photographer, Ernest Leahy, wins Green Our Herts campaign competition

Ernest Leahy won first place for his photograph of a Banded Demoiselle dragon fly on the River Ver, captioned "Don’t Get Stung by High Bills" in the competition Water: The Bigger Picture.

St Albans District Council backed the competition as part of a county-wide campaign by Green Our Herts to reduce water consumption and protect the environment.

Mr Leahy said: "I am delighted to have won this competition. I sit on the committee of the Ver Valley Society and we are involved in conservation of the river. If too much water is abstracted from the aquifer to supply local homes then the river itself will dry. It’s a balancing act between supplying homes and preserving our local river habitat."

The competition was designed to convey the message about the need to reduce household water consumption to protect the natural environment. The three winners from St Albans were selected because their photographs and captions convey the benefits of water conservation and protecting the environment.

Second place went to city resident Rosemary Wenzerul for her photograph of a dried up River Ver, near Redbourn.

Sue Frearson came third for her photograph showing how she saves water in her garden by using a water butt and buckets.