The special flora and animal life of the Royal Parks - from the red deer and hedgehogs to giant Shire horses and the tiny Bushy Gnat - are set to star on TV.

The area's two Royal Parks and the staff that nurture and protect them will feature in the More4 series 'Secrets of the Royal Gardens'.

The second episode in the series airs on Wednesday evening and pays particular attention to Richmond Park's Isabella Plantation.

Jo Scrivener, the Assistant Park Manager at Richmond, reveals the secrets of the 40 acre 'horticultural wonder', which is best known for its flowering evergreen azaleas, which line the ponds and streams.

Many can trace their origins to the work of famous plant hunter, Ernest Wilson, who sent back what has become a world famous collection of 50 azalea types from Japan 100 years ago.

The programme also details how the park has turned back time to rely on teams of shire horses, which are now an endangered species, to keep bracken at bay.

The horses have proved more effective than heavy machinery in protecting the soil from compaction while cutting back the bracken that threatens to smother the important grassland.

While the mighty shire horses are difficult to miss, the same cannot be sent of a particular fungus gnat found in Bushy Park in 2016.

An entomologist discovered the gnat and realised it was a completely new species to the UK – identifiable by its unique genitalia. The expert chose to name it after the place it was found - the Bushy Gnat.

Narrated by Hugh Bonneville, the episode will take viewers on a journey to a number of the lesser-known locations within London's eight Royal Parks.

Andrew Scattergood, Chief Executive of The Royal Parks, said: "We're delighted to be featuring in episode two of this fascinating series and to be sharing some of the Royal Parks' best-kept secrets.

"The parks comprise 5,000 acres of beautiful, natural and historic royal parkland across London and although many people will have visited them numerous times before, there are still some amazing stories and little known facts about the parks that people won't be aware of. We hope everyone enjoys watching the documentary as much as we enjoyed making it."

Secrets of the Royal Gardens - More4, Wednesday 9pm