Gardening guru and housewives' favourite Alan Titchmarsh has been honoured with the highest award available to former students in further education.

The Ilkley-born TV star studied at Shipley College after leaving school.

He is now among a group of high-fliers to be handed a gold award by the Association of Colleges (AoC).

Bosses at Shipley College nominated him for the honour although one of his reports had said: "Good, but noisy at times!".

He joins previous winners including former House of Commons speaker Baroness Betty Boothroyd, actor Steven Berkoff, shoe designer Jimmy Choo, TV dramatist Kay Mellor and chef Gary Rhodes.

Alan Titchmarsh left school at the age of 15 with a single O-Level in art.

He took a job as an apprentice gardener at the Ilkley Parks Department nursery, while studying for his City & Guilds in Horticulture at Shipley College.

An AoC spokesman said: "Alan claims that the course he took at the college, on day release and during the evenings, suddenly opened his eyes to the fact that he could achieve, saying that he changed from a 'shrinking violet into a full-blooded gardener'.

"His College reports at the time show him to be an extremely promising gardener, although one lecturer noted that he was 'Good, but noisy at times'."

After leaving Shipley College, Alan got a job at Kew Gardens, London, before moving into journalism as a freelance writer and broadcaster.

He now presents Gardeners' World and the hugely popular Ground Force. His shows are broadcast as far afield as Australia, New Zealand and America.

He has also published three novels - all best-sellers.

The awards were presented by Sir William Stubbs, President of the AoC Charitable Trust.

Sir William said: "The former students represent the latest of an increasing group of individuals who have been recognised by the Gold Awards.

"They all attribute their success to the support and confidence their FE College gave them at the beginning of their career."

Alan was too busy filming a TV show to attend the ceremony but has promised to collect his award at the AoC conference later this year.

l Alan is to play a gnome in a new children's television programme to help foster a nation of green-fingered youngsters.

He will play a sentimental, ornamental gnome who lives in an upturned wheelbarrow with a worm called Andrew in a new animated show called Gordon Gnome.

A pilot episode, called The Smelly Wellies, has just been recorded in which Alan also provides voices for Gordon's friends Andrew, Daphne Squirrel and Morris Mole.

He has also recorded the theme tune, which producers say could be released as a single.

He said: "I am absolutely delighted to be playing Gordon. I think I'll make a wonderful gnome."