CAMPAIGNERS are warning that Brexit could result in the New Forest missing out on funding of more than £100,000 a year.

Research carried out by the Open Britain group has revealed that the European Commission has provided the New Forest National Park with funding totalling £823,000 over the last five years.

Only one other National Park - the Peak District - has received more financial support from the EU.

An Open Britain spokesman said a Freedom of Information request to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) revealed that the European Commission had given about £6.4 million to English national parks over the last five years.

Open Britain claims to be leading the fight to prevent what it fears will be a hard, destructive exit.

One of the group's leading supporters is Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas, co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales.

She said: "Our beautiful and precious national parks are one of the many things that make Britain Great.

"Money from the EU is a vital source of funding, without which they would struggle to make ends meet.

“The New Forest alone has received over £800,000 across the last five years, directly from European Commission funding, the second most of any English national park.

"If that source of funding is lost, the people who work so hard to maintain our national parks would find it much harder to do their jobs effectively.

“No-one voted in the referendum to give less money to national parks, or to damage our countryside.

"If the government cannot guarantee equal or increased levels of funding, people have the right to keep an open mind about our future relationship with Europe.”

According to DEFRA, the New Forest received £151,000 from the European Commission in 2012/13.

That was followed by £240,000 in 2013/14, £189,000 in 2014/15, £112,000 in 2015/16 and £131,000 in 2016/17.

The New Forest National Park covers an area of almost 220 square miles and boasts a population of 34,000 people.

A National Park Authority spokesman said: "European money has been allocated over the years to the New Forest because it is a unique and special place, where land managers deliver public benefits in return for investment of public money.

"We have a strong partnership working together for the New Forest and we are able to demonstrate excellent value for money from investment.

"We hope that as we leave Europe the commitment to supporting the New Forest will continue for the benefit of future generations."