TELEVISION presenter Jonathan Ross could not decide on the best scarecrow at yesterday's 269th Hampstead Garden Suburb Horticultural Show - so he gave prizes for all of them.

Mr Ross and his wife Jane Goldman have been the honorary presidents of the HGS Horticultural Society for the past nine years and regularly open the annual competition.

For the past four years they have also judged the scarecrow contest - and are notoriously bad at choosing a winner.

Yesterday afternoon, standing on stage at the Free Church, in Northway, Mr Ross dished out nine prizes for the children and a further two "joint winners" for the adults.

The theme this year was nursery rhymes and the "scariest" prize went to a creature with three blind mice tucked in its pockets.

The "cutest" award went to Little Bo Peep, while a tiny incy wincy spider took "most original".

Mary Mary Quite Contrary, who Mr Ross believed looked like Libby Purves, won the "best dressed" award, and Humpty Dumpty, who he thought resembled Adrian Chiles, snared one of the adults' top spot.

Speaking to the Times Series, Mr Ross said he returned every year because he was "part of the community".

He added: "They asked us to be honorary presidents and we thought it would be a nice way to meet people in our neighbourhood."

When the couple first joined the society, they were awarded L-plates for their lack of gardening experience.

The TV star admitted he still only did "a bit" of gardening, but was "getting better" and now grows vegetables to make Gazpacho soup with his children.

When asked what his scarecrow judging credentials were, he said: "We really hit the ground running ten years ago.

"We're not really looking so much for scariness than something well designed, and something the kids have had a hand in and had fun making."

Long tables piled with flowers, herbs and vegetables filled the rest of the hall, with certificates laid out alongside the winners.

Prizes were given for several categories, including a special children's section.

Society spokesman Marjorie Harris said the judges, who are all professionally trained, looked for freshness, shape, colour and lack of greenfly when assessing the plants.

She said: "It has been a particularly fantastic rose year as it stayed cold longer than it normally does - which is why we have these wonderful aromas.

"We also have fewer vegetables for the same reason."

Soraya Hussein, 11, who created the spider scarecrow, said she enjoyed taking part in the event.

"It was fun making it, and I made some cakes too," she said.

"It was also nice meeting Jonathan Ross. He's very tall."