FAMILIES flooded in to Dorchester’s award-winning Borough Gardens to celebrate Love Parks Week.

Children and people of all ages enjoyed a day of fun in the sun as a host of entertainment was put on at the popular county town venue.

The celebration yesterday was part of the national Love Parks Week initiative to promote the country’s parks and green spaces.

Visitors to the gardens were able to enjoy mini traction engine rides, take part in a treasure hunt, check out displays of vintage cars, motorcycles and model aeroplanes and enjoy a range of other entertainment and stalls on offer.

The event also saw Mayor of Dorchester Peter Mann raise the Green Flag in the gardens.

The flag, awarded by Keep Britain Tidy to the best parks and green spaces in the country, was awarded for a seventh year in a row and the gardens also received a Green Heritage Site plaque for a third year in a row.

Cllr Mann, inset, who officially opened the event after a special cry from Alistair Chisholm, said it was great to see so many people enjoying themselves in the gardens.

He said: “This is a celebration of the Borough Gardens, which plays an important part in the life of Dorchester.

“We are particularly celebrating the success of the Borough Gardens in achieving the Green Flag, which is a tribute to the hard work of all the town council staff.”

Lorna Low from the Friends of the Borough Gardens said one of the best thing about the gardens was that, like the Love Parks Week celebration, so many of the events it held were free for people to enjoy.

She added: “It’s good to see them all piling in with their picnics and everybody enjoying themselves.”

Among those enjoying themselves at the event were the Hedges family, with brothers Alfie, seven, and Callum, four, tackling the treasure hunt.

Mum Kelly said the boys often enjoyed coming to the gardens.

She said: “It’s just a lovely place to bring the kids and they can run around and enjoy themselves.”