A LOGO backed by Daily Echo readers is to become the international symbol of the New Forest National Park.

The logo, pictured, which shows two New Forest ponies grazing beside a solitary tree, was the clear winner of a readers' poll conducted last month.

Now members of the New Forest National Park Authority (NPA) have voted to adopt it as the organisation's official emblem.

They rejected the other three designs which, with the eventual winner, were unveiled at the authority's inaugural meeting at Lyndhurst on April 11.

The meeting was attended by a large number of Forest residents, all of whom were invited to vote for their favourite logo. Susan Carter, the NPA's interim chief executive, briefed members when they met yesterday to discuss the reaction to the designs.

She said: "We were grateful to the large number of people who provided comments on the four concepts outlined at the inaugural meeting.

"Hundreds of Daily Echo readers also voted for their preferred design."

The winner was backed by 55 per cent of the people who took part in the poll. It beat a logo showing a cross-section of animals and plants (36 per cent), a design featuring the heads of two ponies (seven per cent) and an image of a tree containing an ancient silver coin (two per cent).

NPA officers said the logo featuring the two pony heads was supported by eight members - twice the number that voted for the other designs.

However, they stressed that the ponies standing near a tree had proved more popular with the public, including Echo readers.

NPA chairman Ted Johnson expressed concern that the symbol was similar to ones used by some of the other organisations in the Forest. He added: "I would be slightly embarrassed if we nicked what someone else regarded as their logo."

NPA policy director Maddy Jago said: "It won't be a problem if our logo is sufficiently distinct and we're moving in the right direction."