A YORK-based operator of tourist attractions across the county has seen five of its site receive Certificates of Excellence.

The commendation from travel site TripAdvisor has been awarded to York's Chocolate Story, Oxford Castle Unlocked, Spinnaker Tower, The Real Mary King's Close and Kent Life.

The attractions are part of a portfolio of seven sites operated by Continuum Leading Attractions, from its base in Margaret Street, York.

Juliana Delaney, chief executive of Continuum said: “We’re delighted to be honoured with such acclaim by the world’s most renowned travel review site.

"I’d like to thank our focused and talented teams across all our attractions who deliver such great visitor experiences and customer service each and every day.

"It’s fantastic to be recognised for our ethos of providing our guests with world-class tourism and leisure experiences.”

Thirty years ago, the privately-owned Continuum was behind the development of the Jorvik Centre in York and has helped create more than 100 visitor attractions worldwide over the past 30 years.

The group has a turnover of approximately £8 million and employs more than 300 tourism professionals across its UK sites.