A holiday park which was looking to expand its site, much to the dismay of local residents, has been sold to a British company.

Ribble Valley County and Leisure Park in Paythorne, which was operated by Park Leisure, has been sold to Park Holidays along with 10 other sites the company owned.

The site, also referred to as Twyn Ghyll Caravan Site, has been the subject of controversy as villagers have petitioned at Ribble Valley Council planning meetings to stop 62 more caravans from being added to the site.

Paythorne Action Group were delighted when councillors voted for the application to be refused for a "number of reasons".

Lancashire Telegraph: Villagers from Paythorne took their banners to the Ribble Valley Council planning committee last year Villagers from Paythorne took their banners to the Ribble Valley Council planning committee last year

It was reported earlier this year that the site had been sold to American company, Sun Communities, however, it is unclear what happened with this deal.

Park Holidays UK director Tony Clish said the coming together of the two well-established groups presented exciting new opportunities in one of tourism's most dynamic sectors.

He said: "Both companies have invested substantially in their parks over recent years and created a range of high-quality holiday products which people clearly enjoy.

"Park Leisure's 11 parks have all gained top five-star tourist board awards and represent the high-quality standards we have been working towards in recent years.

"Whether customers are looking to rent or buy a holiday home, we can now offer a wide geographical spread of parks able to deliver a first-class experience at an affordable cost.

"We will continue to invest in all of our parks to ensure their facilities and standards of service are maintained to the highest possible levels."

Park Holidays UK was formed over 35 years ago, and its parks today span the length of Britain from Cornwall in the south west to Moray in northern Scotland.

Park Leisure has operated holidays parks for more than 20 years, and also has a presence in Cornwall, Herefordshire, Northumberland, Yorkshire and North Wales.