A MUCH-loved Oxford park is in the running to be crowned best in the UK.

Florence Park has been nominated by members of the public for the accolade in a competition run by Fields in Trust, formerly known as the National Playing Fields Association.

Hundreds of parks across the UK were nominated between September 21 and October 13 but Florence Park is the only one in Oxfordshire to have made the shortlist.

Voting is now open to decide which of the parks is the best.

Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds said she was 'delighted' to hear the park, which is in her constituency, had been nominated.

She said: "Definitely well merited."

Florence Park was gifted to the Florence Park estate in 1934 and since then has blossomed into a park that is central to the local community.

It is now owned and run by Oxford City Council.

As well as offering a space for numerous sports, dog walking, nature loving and food growing, a park festival, 'FloFest', is held every year in June.

Voting closes at 5pm on Friday November 3.

The park with the most votes in each of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will be shortlisted.

The winner of UK's Best Park 2017 will then be announced at the Fields in Trust Awards at Lord's Cricket Ground on Wednesday November 29.

The competition was first held in 2015 when Telford Town Park in Shropshire received the most votes and again in 2016 when Rouken Glen Park in East Renfrewshire won the award.

To vote go to www.fieldsintrust.org/bestpark.