BOTANIST David Bellamy has named Flamingo Land as one of the UK’s greenest places to take a holiday - and awarded it a special accolade for protecting the natural environment.

The theme park said it was proud to be a winner of a David Bellamy Conservation Award, which celebrates parks with forward-thinking environmental policies.

The awards scheme has been running since 1997.

All parks taking part are regularly assessed to determine what steps they are taking to manage their land as a haven for wildlife, reduce their energy use, water and other resources, reduce, reuse and recycle the waste they produce, and support their local communities.

In addition to receiving the gold award from David Bellamy, the park has also been named as a Honey Bee Friendly attraction, which is backed by the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA).

Flamingo Land owner Gordon Gibb said: “Conservation is my passion, so to be awarded this honour by a legend in the field, David Bellamy, is wonderful news.

“We work hard to make sure the park is run in an environmentally-friendly way, which enhances the experience for both visitors and staff.”

Mr Gibb and deputy executive Ross Snipp also thanked Dr Sarah Spooner, education centre manager, for all her hard work

in helping to secure the accolades.

Flamingo Land works with a company called Yorwaste, ensuring everything possible is recycled, with a “zero landfill” policy in place.

Alongside helping the environment, Flamingo Land is also helping to power the local community as any non-recyclable waste is turned into electricity after incineration.