Visitors to County Durham’s parks and green spaces are being invited to vote for their favourite beauty spot.
Keep Britain Tidy is asking people across the country to choose their Park of the Year and four County Durham sites are in the running.
Blackhill and Consett Park, Chester-le- Street Riverside Park, Hardwick Park and Bishop Auckland Town Recreation Ground are all eligible for the People’s Choice Award as they hold Green Flag status.
The Green Flag Award recognises excellence and good practice in the management and development of parks and open spaces in England and Wales.
Durham County Council, which oversees the county’s four Green Flag parks, is calling on members of the public to take part in the vote and secure the People’s Choice Award for the county.
Cllr Brian Stephens, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for neighbourhoods and local partnerships, said: “Our parks and open spaces offer a fantastic opportunity to get out and about and enjoy some fresh air – whether it’s to admire the scenery, take a walk or keep the children entertained.
“We’d like to encourage people to support out parks by voting for their favourite. We are extremely proud that four of them have Green Flag status but it would be absolutely fantastic if one of them was named Park of the Year.”
People can cast their vote online by visiting www.greenflagaward.org, clicking on County Durham on the interactive map and selecting their favourite park from the list.
Voting closes at noon on Friday, 30 September and the UK’s 10 most popular parks and green spaces will be announced in October.