WORK on parks and gardens in a North Yorkshire district cost £1,826,721 last year.

Harrogate Borough Council's parks section spent the money -amounting to 28 per cent of the leisure department's total costs.

The department's total spend was £6,541,503, with 43 per cent (£2,842,336) going on sport and leisure.

The figures were revealed in the department's annual report, which recorded two successes.

For the first time, two UK nominations -Harrogate and the Nidderdale village of Darley -were winners in the European Entente Florale town bloom competition.

Meanwhile, the most improved leisure centre attendance figures were achieved by Ripon Leisure Centre, which had 83,885 users, up from 80,539.

Visits to swimming pools were down on the previous year.

At Ripon Spa Baths, the latest figure was 73,333, against 75,443 the previous year.

There was a slight drop from 296,430 to 294,749 at Harrogate's Hydro pool.

Harrogate's newly refurbished Turkish Baths recorded 32,278 users, up from 29,077.

The Royal Pump Room Museum, near Harrogate's Valley Gardens, showed a fall in visitors from 28,343 to 18,274.