CHILDREN can enjoy a new £50,000 play area at Darwen Leisure Centre from tonight.

Youngsters will be ploughing through spongy balls, crawling through tubs and climbing ropes after the opening of Alien World.

Michael Lyons, centre manager, said: "We've had the area imported from Australia and we hope it will be very popular with the kids.

"We are looking to attract children's parties and want to draw in kids after they've been swimming and taken part in other centre activities.

"It's fantastic for Darwen to have something like this for children because there aren't enough facilities for them in the town."

Blackburn with Darwen Council members will open the new play area.

Mr Lyons added: "We will have kids there trying it out so that will be a good test as to how successful it will be."