An alpine garden, constructed using lookalike limestone devised by a Keighley sculptor, won a gold medal at the leading flower show in the North of England.

The creation took the top award at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show on its first ever display to the public.

Bill Jordan, the 58-year-old from Long Lee who invented the product, said he was absolutely delighted.

"It is the first time the rocks have been shown in a setting like this. Next we are heading for Birmingham and then hopefully Chelsea," he said.

It took about a week to construct the garden and he praised the designer, Peter Orme, from Harrogate, for his inspiration and the plant suppliers Pottertons Nursery, of Lincolnshire.

The garden, which features moulded rock -- an exact replica of the protected limestone in the Yorkshire Dales -- could be seen throughout the four day show, at the Yorkshire Showground.

Mr Jordan, of Dale View Grove, has perfected his "secret" method of replicating the stone.

The limestone is produced in special moulds and can be fitted together like a jigsaw to form any configuration.

"It means that anyone who wants to reproduce the Harrogate garden can do so exactly at their own home," he added.

The stone, which he calls Lite Lime Rox, is being produced by Keighley-based Abbey Stone Products.

To replicate the rock, Mr Jordan used old limestone from gardens and also got permission from the Yorkshire Dales National Park to take moulded copies on site.

He defies anyone to tell the difference between his product and the genuine article in places like Malham Cove.

Limestone, especially limestone pavement, is extremely rare worldwide and the Yorkshire Dales have half of all the UK examples.

It is protected and thieves face imprisonment or a fine if caught removing it.

Mr Jordan's creation has been praised by the national park for its contribution in helping create a substitute.