A WILD man was on the loose in a wooded North-East park yesterday.

But visitors to Sunderland's newly refurbished Mowbray Park were not too worried by self-styled wild man of the woods Barry Patterson.

His visit was all part of a range of summer entertainment planned to encourage visitors to the park, which was refurbished earlier this year as part of an on-going £15m redevelopment.

Yesterday, crowds packed the area to hear the wild man sing songs and tell tales about the environment.

"The newly refurbished park is an amazing place and is already extremely popular with visitors," said assistant education officer at Sunderland Museum and Art Gallery Jennie Beale.

"The wild man's stories were fun and entertaining, but also had a message about the environment and how we should protect it."

The restoration plans also include the redevelopment of Sunderland Museum and Art Gallery, and the launch of the Winter Gardens. Both projects are due to open in spring next year. The National Lottery backed the scheme with a £10m grant.