Six of Northamptonshire's country parks have been awarded Green Flags at the annual awards ceremony, while three county community projects were awarded Green Pennants, which recognise the work of voluntary groups.

Among those with green flags in the county are Brixworth Country Park, Sywell Country Park and Daventry Country Park. While Brixworth and Sywell, together with Barnwell, Fermyn Woods and Irchester, retained the awards, it is a first for Daventry District Park.

Crick Millennium Wood and Kingsthorpe New Churchyard Pocket Park were awarded green pennants. Great Billing Pocket Park retained its green pennant for the fifth year running.

Jim Snedker, of Great Billing Pocket Park Volunteers, said: "We are very pleased. The guys have put in a lot of hard work and there is no cash benefit for it. Hopefully next year we will apply for a green flag for the area."

He said one issue with the park holding a green pennant for five years was obtaining funding to maintain it, as grants tend to cater only for new projects.

Northamptonshire County Councillor Andre Gonzales de Savage (Con, East Hunsbury), cabinet member for customers and communities, said the awards showed the county's parks were successful on both a local and national level.

He said: "I'm delighted by the awards and I'm appreciative of the hard work of the staff to keep them running that way. "Pocket parks are a fantastic example of great community work where people have got together to improve their areas.

"I do encourage all families to use Northamptonshire's parks. They are the lungs of our county."

Councillor Gonzales de Savage added investment in green spaces had included the largest jungle run south of Manchester at Irchester Country Park.