ONE of the county's most popular attractions has been sold to an international leisure park company.

More than 20 years after being opened by the McNamara family Oakwood is being sold to ASPRO.

Former owner of Oakwood, Paddy McNamara said: "I am delighted that ASPRO has acquired the park, which is Wales's largest paid for visitor attraction, as they have an excellent track record of operating leisure parks across Europe."

The ASPRO Group is best known in this country as the owners of the Deep Sea World Aquarium in Fife, near Edinburgh, and Blue Planet Aquarium in Ellesmere Port, Chester.

A spokesman for the new owners said the company had bought the park to strengthen its presence in the UK, calling Oakwood "a highly regarded amusement park with magnificent installations."

ASPRO currently operates 32 leisure parks in seven countries: 13 in Spain, one in Portugal, one in Switzerland, one in Belgium, nine in France, five in Finland and, with the acquisition of Oakwood, three parks in the UK.

Its portfolio is now made up of 22 water parks, two marine zoos, four latest generation aquariums, two animal parks and two amusement parks.

Oakwood, under new management, will be open for the 2008 season from March 20 until September 28.