SECURITY staff are to be appointed as part of a park's £3.4m restoration project to encourage families to use it.

Responsibility for keeping Albert Park, Middlesbrough, crime free will be divided among a park manager, a community ranger and a community policeman.

Plans for their appointment were drawn up after consultations revealed that, in spite of the money granted for improvements to the park, many people would still be afraid to use it unless their safety could be guaranteed.

Sue Houghton, development services manager for Middlesbrough Borough Council, said: "One of the key things that came out of consultations was that people didn't feel secure."

Those responsible for the park's safety and upkeep will initially be employed for a five-year period and will be paid largely from the grant secured from the National Lottery.

Other running costs will be met by the council, the private sector and contributions in kind, such as volunteer labour from the Probation Service.

The campaign to restore the Victorian park, which was once a thriving hub of activity in central Middlesbrough, has been ongoing for the past three years.

In November, those behind the campaign received news of the success of their Lottery bid, on top of £96,000 already secured from the Northumbrian Water Environmental Trust.