AN UNKEMPT Southampton park is to get a major new facelift with added facilities for the community.

Thornhill Park is undergoing work to make it a safer and more appealing place for families in the surrounding area to use.

As well as work to plants and vegetation in the park, footpaths will be improved and better lighting is to be installed.

The improvements, start this week and will develop further over the summer when local residents will be asked for their feedback on new play equipment, picnic areas and the horticultural design of the park.

Organised by community regeneration project Thornhill Plus You, the park improvement project is hoping to encourage people to use the park more and help put an end to vandalism, anti-social behaviour and reduce fear of crime in the neighbourhood.

Emma Blunt, Thornhill Plus You's Capital Projects manager said: "The Thornhill Park Improvements project will completely transform the parkland from a walkway, into an area where people will want to spend time.

"The improvements have been driven by residents from initial consultation stages, through to developmental processes. We are looking forward to seeing peoples reactions when the work is complete."