A POPULAR show in the Cotswolds which sees people attend from all over the world has won a highly commended award at the 2015 VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.

The Cotswold Show and Food Festival, held annually in Cirencester Park, was granted the accolade at a glittering awards ceremony on May 11 at The Sage, Gateshead.

A highly commended award is a widely renowned as a considerable achievement and recognises excellence in tourism in England.

James Berresford, VisitEngland’s chief executive said it was an amazing achievement as there were so many other high quality contenders.

"The award places The Cotswold Show and Food Festival in the top five businesses for excellence in their category in England," he said. "I warmly congratulate them on this achievement."

The show’s president, Earl Bathurst, who hosts the annual event in Cirencester Park said: "There is a lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes to get ready for the gates to open and to ensure the show runs smoothly. We’re thrilled that this has been recognised and my thanks go to the whole team which makes it happen."