AMBITIOUS plans to revamp a popular park have won a £24,500 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The funding means the Friends of Pannett Park, in Whitby, can now go ahead with a project to restore a floral clock.

The first step will see the removal of the old clock mechanism and installation of a new electrical supply and foundations.

The clock, which was installed at the entrance to the Chubb Hill park in 1953, to commemorate the Queen's coronation, will be the only one of its kind in Yorkshire when it is restored.

Fiona Spiers, the Heritage Lottery Fund's regional manager, said: "We are delighted to be able to support this project, as it will restore the integrity of a local heritage asset while providing local people with a unique opportunity to research and learn about its significance."

The projected cost for the restoration of the floral clock is £51,000. Other grants have come from Scarborough Borough Council's Northern Area Committee and North Yorkshire County Council's Moors and Coast Committee.

The Friends now need to secure a further £5,500 to complete the work.

Individuals, families, businesses or groups can sponsor the numbers on the clock face for £500.

Anyone wanting to sponsor a number can call (01947) 820227.