TEENAGE twins who garden for a war veteran are in the running for a prestigious award. Identical twins Sam and Ryan Piggott, 15, of The Fillance, Bassingbourn, are finalists in the Cambridge Building Society Young People of the Year (YOPEY). They will com

TEENAGE twins who garden for a war veteran are in the running for a prestigious award.

Identical twins Sam and Ryan Piggott, 15, of The Fillance, Bassingbourn, are finalists in the Cambridge Building Society Young People of the Year (YOPEY).

They will compete against other youngsters for �2,000 in cash prizes, which will be handed out at an awards ceremony at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, next month.

The pair were nominated by their grandmother, Pat Piggott, because of the good work they do for their neighbour, Harry Hicks, for whom they garden every week free of charge.

Mr Hicks, 85, a former army sergeant who fought in the Second World War, lost his wife of 58 years in 2007, and shortly afterwards was diagnosed with diabetes.

He said: "I became ill and found out I was suffering diabetes. I felt ever so weak for a long time, and the garden didn�t get done."

Noticing that their neighbours garden needed a bit of work, the boys stepped in, and have been regularly tending to it ever since.

Mr Hicks added: "I enjoy their visits. Sometimes they come together, sometimes it only needs one.

"They are very good and always willing. I have tried to pay them but they refuse. Their mum says they�ve got to learn to do good things for the neighbours.

"They are ever so kind to do this. A lot of young people today couldn�t care less," he said.

Ryan said: "We're proud of what we�re doing because it feels like we�re giving something back. Until we came along Harry�s garden was getting overgrown and he was struggling."

The twins will join the other nine YOPEY finalists find out whether they've won a prize at the awards ceremony on October 10. For more details on the awards, visit www.yopey.org