If you like wildlife and you like photography, put the two together and make a beeline for the Stockwood Discovery Centre in Luton.

A free touring exhibition showcasing some of the top entries in the annual British Wildlife Photography Awards opens at the centre this weekend and runs until March.

The awards celebrate the work of amateur and professional photographers who have used their skills to capture beauty and diversity of British wildlife.

Winning images are chosen from thousands of entries in 16 separate categories including a special film category for HD video and three junior categories to encourage young people to connect with nature through photography.

Writer, zoologist and broadcaster Mark Carwardine said: “These awards have become one of the most anticipated events in the wildlife photography calendar.

“The bar in wildlife photography has already been raised to unimaginably high levels of sophistication, innovation and artistic vision, yet the standard somehow continues to get better and better.

“This latest collection of images is testament to the sheer level of interest in wildlife in Britain and, above all, the remarkable abilities of our wildlife photographers.

The show includes the overall winning picture On the Edge by Barrie Williams – a dizzying image of gannets perched on a cliff.

You can see all the images at www.bwpawards.co.uk – visit www.lutonculture.com for show opening times.