It’s official – Hackney now has a whopping 29 of the UK’s best parks you can visit during this summer’s heatwave.

The council clocked up two more Green Flag Awards last month for St Thomas’s Square Gardens and Mabley Green, taking the total number of its green spaces to be given the accolade to 25.

Hackney Town Hall hosted the ceremony for the internationally-recognised awards, which recognise the world’s best maintained parks.

To be given the prestigious Green Flag, a park must also boast excellent visitor facilities and meet high environmental standards.

Mayor Phil Glanville said: “To think that 40 per cent of our parks are now recognised as some of the very best in the country is truly amazing, and a great testament to the staff on the ground who in all weathers are making sure that our parks are welcoming, high quality and meeting the needs of the borough’s residents.

“However, there is always more to do, and that is why we have made the commitment to ensure that around 50pc of the borough’s parks will hold a green flag award by 2022.”

Two parks have recently been given Heritage Lottery Funding. Springfield Park is set to benefit from £3million worth of improvements, while Abney Park Cemetery has been awarded another £300,000.

Four other sites in the borough not run by the town hall were also given Green Flags. They are Woodberry Wetlands, St Leonard’s Churchyard, St Mary’s Secret Garden and Hackney Community Tree Nursery.