A green and white flag now flies proudly in Abbots Langley after Leavesden Country Park was recognised with a prestigious award.

The Green Flag Awards, organised by Keep Britain Tidy, GreenSpace and BTCV, are presented to 1,200 parks and open spaces that meet a strict criterion including good maintenance, cleanliness, safety and security, and are considered welcoming.

For the first time, Leavesden Country Park was awarded the honour and on Friday evening a ceremony was held to mark the occasion.

Members of the community flocked to see the flag raised up a six metre pole and hear park ranger Martin Brooks pay tribute to the hard work and dedication of his team.

He said: “Thanks to the help of my colleague Natasha and the community – including support group the Friends of Leavesden Country Park - our park has been recognised with this prestigious award.

“We have worked really hard to ensure that this park is welcoming and all encompassing, that is, that there is something for everyone to do here.

“I was over the moon when I found out we’d received the award, I’m really pleased – especially as it comes at a time when we’re still making improvements to the park.”

Two experienced park officials visited the park at the end of June before deciding whether the area was worthy of the award.

The Green Flag Award lasts for 12 months and Mr Brooks said that he would reapply next year on behalf of the park.

And despite Leavesden Country Park being vandalised a number of times over the past nine months, Mr Brooks said he hoped that no-one would damage the newly installed flag.

He said: “I hope all members of the community realise that this is a big deal for Abbots Langley – it’s something we should all be proud of.

“But Natasha and I will be keeping an eye on the flag and flagpole – all we can do is hope that no-one decides to damage it for a few moments of fun, especially after all of our hard work.”