OKEHAMPTON has defeated Liskeard and two other stations in the search to find the UK's most loved railway station.

The competition, run online by the Rail Delivery Group, the body that represents railway operators has put together a list of 48 stations as chosen by TV presenter and railway historian Tim Dunn, to choose from in order to find which station is the UK's best loved.

The stations chosen are ones which heavily involve the community in their upkeep, such as the friends of railway station groups.

In the South West heat, to qualify for the semi-final, the recently restored Okehampton station was pitted against Liskeard, Yatton and Penmere.

It means it will now go against three of the winners of the other regional heats in the semi-finals, where it will be pitted to the public poll against Bognor Regis (South East), Denmark Hill (London) and Lowestoft (East).

Okehampton convincingly won the South West heat, with 1,674 votes.

Liskeard came a narrow second with 358 votes, while Yatton (near Bristol) placed third with 349 votes and Penmere (Falmouth) received 182 votes.