Almost £1 million is to be spent upgrading four holiday parks in Cumbria as part of a multi-million investment to boost tourism.

Parkdean Resorts has announced it is to plough £42m on its parks across the UK with £950,000 being injected into its south Cumbria centres at Fallbarrow Holiday Park and White Cross Bay, both Winderemere, Gatebeck in Kendal and Limefitt Park at Troutbeck near Windermere.

Four luxury lodges with hot tubs will be provided at Fallbarrow Park at a cost of £520,000 while White Cross Bay will get new caravans

The work comes as part of a wider investment across the company in time for the holiday season following a record £50m worth of investment last year.

This year's spending means Parkdean has invested £130m into its parks since 2016 with 72% of its caravans now double glazed and centrally heated.

John Waterworth, chief executive at Parkdean Resorts said: “This year our £42m investment plans really show our commitment to continually developing our parks, and creating the best possible holidaymaker and owner experiences.

“In 2018 we have a focus on bringing in new caravans and lodges to follow the growth in consumer demand. We also regularly collect guest feedback, and from this made the decision to introduce more one and four-bedroom models.

"As we look ahead to peak season, work is underway at the majority of our parks to boost their offering, making for an even more enjoyable time whilst staying with us.

"We hope this is well-received by our customers, and look forward to welcoming them throughout the course of the year.”

Mr Waterworth added that due to demand and new accommodation, more parks were open for February half-term than ever before with a total of 27 parks welcoming this year's first holidaymakers.

The company is spending £13m on 800 new caravans across the UK to meet higher demand for holidays and ownership opportunities.

In response to customer feedback, these models will include the introduction of more one and four-bedroom caravans with features including en-suite bathrooms, new and upgraded entertainment units and spacious seating areas.

New lodges including a variety of four-bedroom models are also set to be added to a range of parks following a £1.3m investment.