Brighton MP Caroline Lucas was named Britain’s top environmental hero by the Environmental Funders Network to mark Earth Day yesterday (Saturday 22 April.)

The Green MP beat the veteran BBC broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough and fellow television presenter Chris Packham, a regular on Springwatch.

She also came in ahead of the investigative environmental journalist George Monbiot and celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

The accolade was announced by the Environmental Funders Network which is made up of leading environmental charities.

They praised the way that Ms Lucas had brought environmental issues into mainstream politics.

She said: “Thank you to the leaders of the UK environmental movement for recognising my work in trying to keep the environment at the top of the political agenda.

“Politics underpin every aspect of environmental protection but the threats are mounting under a government so committed to extracting fossil fuels from the ground at every turn, cutting investment in carbon-friendly energy production and now intent on tearing up the environmental protections we’ve fought to achieve in Europe, as it embarks on its hard and reckless Brexit.

“I’m flattered to be recognised like this by so many environmental leaders.”

The Environmental Funders Network asked 92 representatives from the sector who had done the most to advance the environmental agenda over the past three years.

This article was first published in Brighton and Hove News.