A DARWEN park will undergo a complete overhaul during the next few months to make it more community-friendly.

The Friends of Ashton Park have launched a project, which is expected to cost around £25,000, to improve the look of the area and modernise the play equipment and seating.

The playing field is being doubled in size and ex-offenders, working with the probation service, are cutting back trees and tidying the park.

And staff from Frank Barnes haulage and crane hire company, of Cross Street, are extending the playing field for free to help the local community.

It is hoped most of the work will be completed in time for the summer and the Friends are putting together new bids for funding to Blackburn with Darwen Council and the National Lottery for new playground equipment and seating in the park. Frank Hull, chairman of Friends of Ashton Park, said: "Staff from Frank Barnes are extending the playing field so that we can start holding future community events on there. They are doing it all free of charge as their bit for the community and we have had a couple of grants from Blackburn with Darwen Council towards it as well.

"We've got the probation service helpers thinning the trees and cleaning up the park and they should be finished in the next few weeks.

"We are also looking to completely revamp the park so that it's attractive to the community and to protect wildlife at the same time.

"Our plan is to have more play equipment, complete the playing field and have an educational area because we have a lot of schools visiting the park during the summer.

"It will be somewhere to sit and learn.

"The Friends group has been raising money to pay for the work in the park and we will be applying to the council for part-funding for the play equipment."

The group is also seeking new members for a Friends support group to help them gain additional funding.

Anyone wanting to get involved can contact Frank on 01254 761699.