EVERY day, hundreds of milkmen deliver to thousands of homes across the country in the early hours of the morning, as the sun rises.

To celebrate this long running British tradition, Dairy Crest held a nationwide competition inviting milkmen to photograph their milk floats at this special time of day.

The runner-up in the competition has been announced as Colchester milkman, Ben Sutton.

He took second place in the competition with his shot of the sun rising over the Essex countryside, providing a scenic backdrop for his milk float!

He finds the local scenery on his round inspiring and wanted to get this across in his photography. He said: “I am so pleased I’ve come second place in the competition!

“I’ve been a milkman since 2001 and as a keen photographer, I’ve always loved the beautiful scenery of my round – especially at sunrise. I enjoy serving the local area and being a part of British heritage – the great views are an added bonus.”

Chris Munn, head of marketing at Dairy Crest, added: “We had many brilliant entries so it was really difficult to pick the top three.

However, having captured the beauty of the early morning, Ben’s photograph stood out.”