A £76,000 lottery grant will give a town's youngsters their own bike and skateboard rink in a newly restored park.

Shildon Town Council made the bid for cash after a group of young people presented them with a petition.

The Sport England Lottery bid confirmed the grant and work could start in the Hackworth Park in the next few weeks. When it opens, the council hopes children will stop hanging around the town centre, which has been vandalised, and move to the park.

Shildon's Town Clerk Tom Toward said all sections of the community would benefit. He said: "This project will provide a safe outlet for local young people by providing facilities and the opportunity to participate in their activity free of charge.

"The scheme is an excellent project regenerating the local park by providing a much-needed facility."

The new rink will be built next to a children's play area. Existing basketball hoops will make way for five pieces of street course equipment, including a mini half-pipe driveway, a spine ramp, split double-width mini-quarter pipe and a double rail slice.

Special surfacing will be installed as well as terraced seating, floodlights operating on a timing system, a cycle rack and permanent railings.

Judith Rasmussen, North-East regional director for Sport England, said: "This is a great project within a deprived area that gives young people the opportunity to bike and skateboard on state-of-the-art purpose-built ramps and pipes in an appropriate environment."

The Hackworth Park itself is undergoing a £800,000 restoration.