BRIGHTON Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas has been named a leading environmental hero.

The Green MP received the accolade from the Environmental Funders Network.

Ms Lucas topped the list ahead of broadcasters and naturalists Sir David Attenborough and Chris Packham and more.

The list of Environmental Heroes is voted for by chief executives from the UK’s leading environmental charities and announced to mark Earth Day 2017.

Ms Lucas was voted into first place for her work in forcing environmental issues into a mainstream politics over the last three years.

She said: “Thank you to the leaders of the UK environmental movement for recognising my work in trying to keep the environment at the top of the political agenda.

“Politics underpin every aspect of environmental protection but the threats are mounting under a government so committed to extracting fossil fuels from the ground at every turn, cutting investment in carbon-friendly energy production and now intent on tearing up the environmental protections we’ve fought to achieve in Europe, as it embarks on its hard and reckless Brexit.

“I’m flattered to be recognised like this.”