KEEP Britain Tidy has awarded three of Worcestershire's County Council's green spaces the Green Flag Award for excellence.

Cllr Lucy Hodgson, Worcestershire County Council Cabinet Member for Localism and Communities, said: "The Green Flag is the national standard for parks and open spaces, and this shows Worcestershire County Council is continuing to provide excellent countryside recreation facilities and opportunities to our visitors from Worcestershire and further afield."

Awards go to Waseley Hills Country Park; Worcester Woods Country Park, and St. Wulstan's Local Nature Reserve in Upper Welland.

In total, 1582 parks, cemeteries, universities, shopping centres and community gardens in the UK have met the high standard needed to receive the Green Flag Award or the Green Flag Community Award, in what is another record-breaking year for the Award scheme.

The Green Flag Awards are judged by an army of more than 700 green-space experts, who volunteer their time to visit applicant sites and assess them against eight strict criteria, including horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability and community involvement.

International Green Flag Award scheme manager Paul Todd said: “We are delighted to be celebrating another record-breaking year for the Green Flag Award scheme. All the flags flying this year are a testament to the efforts of the thousands of men and women, both staff and volunteers, who work tirelessly to maintain the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award.”