ART lovers flocked to the annual Southern Nature Art Exhibition staged in Hampshire.

Featuring artists from across the country, the exhibition at Rookesbury Park near Wickham is one of the largest events of its kind in Europe.

Featuring a range of styles and mediums including sculpture and photography, the exhibition is open to any artist to display their work, all themed around nature.

The exhibition also featured an art market which has been expanded this year with a number of artists staging demonstrations of them at work.

Security at this year’s event was tightened after thieves targeted last year’s exhibition stealing thousands of pounds worth of work which, to date, has not been recovered.

This year’s free to enter event opened on Thursday for a private view before the doors opened to the public on Friday running throughout the weekend to Sunday.

Organiser Nick Barker said: “It is going well this year.

"We have upgraded the display areas and extended the exhibition to include photography.

“There are also some lovely sculpture works here this year and the art marker has been expanded so visitors can see artists at work.”

The winner of this year’s Southern Nature Art Exhibition prize went to Geoff Read, who said he was shocked and “a bit embarrassed” at the win which was for his photo of a barn owl.