Green Flags have been awarded to seven of Mansfield parks and nature reserves – for the seventh year in a row.

The green spaces which have achieved the coveted standard in the district are: Carr Bank Park, Titchfield Park and King George V Park, all in Mansfield, plus Peafield Park and Yeoman Hill Park, in Mansfield Woodhouse, and two Local Nature Reserves at Quarry Lane, Mansfield, and The Carrs, in Warsop.

The success, which comes as Britain is set to celebrate Love Parks week, will be marked tonight by the lighting up of the Bentinck Memorial in the Market Place in green.

Mansfield’s seven join a record number of parks and open spaces nationwide – 2,208 – to be awarded the internationally recognised quality mark for parks and green spaces this year.

Coun Andy Burgin, portfolio holder for Leisure and Environment, said: “Seven Green Flags for seven years on the trot is no mean achievement.

“The work required by the council’s dedicated Parks team and our invaluable Friends groups to reach the exacting Green Flag standards is phenomenal.

“We are always looking to expand the number of parks that reach this standard and establishing a Friends group for a particular open space is key to achieving this.

“Setting up a Friends group also allows a community to access funding streams and various grants that are not available to the council itself so this can bring about improvements much sooner.

“Being a Friend can be a great way to meet new people and get fitter and also enables people to make a rewarding and satisfying contribution to their community.

“These groups do amazing voluntary work in our parks and nature reserves all year round and in all weathers. We cannot thank them enough.”