Image copyright PA Image caption Sian Berry is co-leader of the Green Party, alongside Jonathan Bartley

A recent rise in support for the Green Party shows it is no longer considered just a destination for protest voters, co-leader Sian Berry has said.

More than two million people voted Green in the UK's recent European elections, giving the party seven MEPs.

The Greens then came fifth in the Peterborough by-election. Ms Berry told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday the party was gathering momentum.

"It isn't a flash in the pan," she said. "It isn't a protest vote."

She added: "We've had people working on the ground for many years, we've been electing councillor after councillor, local champions fighting for local services in the face of austerity.

"Those people are now getting trusted, and people are getting used to voting Green again and again. I can't see us going backwards from this."

Speaking from the party's conference in Scarborough, she added: "You can't dent my enthusiasm for our recent results.

"Not when in Westminster polls we're now polling 9-11%.

"That's a really high number of people, one in 10 saying they will vote Green for Westminster.

"In the European elections, we came first in places like Norwich and Bristol and Brighton, where we obviously already have an MP.

"We've got a whole new set of targets now and a load of new MEPs - who are fantastic - and MPs in waiting.

"We're making plans for the next steps. This success has been a long time coming."

Although the Brexit Party won the most seats in the UK in May's European elections, staunchly anti-Brexit parties the Lib Dems and the Greens also made gains.

Overall the Green Party came in fourth place, winning 12.1% of the vote.

Their success was part of a broader rise in support for Greens across EU states.