Yorkshire dales and Lake District to be extended

Announcement to create largest area of national park land in England welcomed by campaigners after two-year wait for decision

Two of England's most celebrated national parks, the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District, are being extended, the government has announced.

The Yorkshire Dales national park will expand by almost 24% and the Lake District national park by 3%, creating a large and almost continuous protected area in north-west England.