A RARE orchid has appeared in outer Space after work improving wildlife in York.

Sustrans volunteers were planting 100 Ragged Robin plants and sowing other wildflower seeds when they spotted the flower which mimics a bee and is more common in south England.

They were in the latter stages of work improving wildlife along the Bishopthorpe-Riccall Solar System stretch of the National 65 cycleway.

Sarah Bradbury, Sustrans Greener Greenways officer in Yorkshire said: “Volunteers were thrilled to see the bee orchids, which haven’t been spotted on this section of the greenway before.

“The orchids are a reward for their hard work removing the willow trees that used to be there.”

The cycle path takes walkers and cyclists along a model of the Solar System from the Sun close to York College to Pluto at Riccall.

All the distances are in scale to the distances of the real Solar System and the models of the planets are also to scale.

Last winter, the path was closed between the A64 and Bishopthorpe for a time while several trees along the path were cut down.

There have also been drainage improvements and a bird hide and a community orchard created with money from Tesco Bags of Help.