CONSUMER watchdogs have named a North Yorkshire theme park as one of the worst offenders when it comes to serving visitors fatty fast food with few healthy options.

The Consumers' Association's Which? magazine named Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo at Kirby Misperton near Malton, along with Camelot Theme Park at Chorley, and New Pleasurewood Hills Theme Park in Suffolk, as offering the least healthy choice of food.

New Pleasurewood Hills was described by researchers as "arguably one of the most depressing of all the theme parks in terms of the choice of food on offer".

But Melanie Wood, director of Flamingo Land, today defended its choice of food. She said: "We supply what is in demand. We've tried the healthy option in the past and it didn't do well - we had to throw salad away.

"Kids want chips and burgers. They come to a theme park and that's what they ask for, so that's what we supply. Fast food goes hand-in-hand with theme park attractions."

Mrs Wood said healthier pasta options were available in The Jolly Sailor restaurant, a chicken salad was on offer in Thunder Mountain Diner, and sandwiches and jacket potatoes were on the menu at Jungle Joe's Food Court.

Which? director of campaigns Nick Stace said: "Today's research is yet another example of how hard it is to make the healthier choice.

"The (tourist) industry needs to ensure that wherever you are it's just as easy to pick up a nutritious sandwich and some fruit as a hotdog and fries."

Which? experts praised the options at some of the 20 attractions they visited.

Among those receiving plaudits were the British Museum in London, Edinburgh Castle and Legoland Windsor in Berkshire.

These offered a wide range of foods including pasta, baked potatoes, vegetables, salads and fruit.

Which? set out a number of recommendations to tourist attractions and caterers to break down the barriers to healthy eating.

These included providing a wider range of affordable and healthy options and using a traffic light labelling scheme to sign-post healthy eating choices by showing how much salt, sugar and fat they contain.

Updated: 10:42 Thursday, July 01, 2004