Children in Lawrence Weston helped design a new play park which they tried out when it officially opened on Tuesday.

Mancroft Park, off Mancroft Avenue, now has a giant swing made of tyres, a spinning 'whirlwind', a big sandpit and totem poles which were made by local school children in workshops.

The park has been landscaped to look more natural and the play area is fenced off to keep dogs out.

The overhaul of the park cost £200,000 with money coming from the city council, Neighbourhood Renewal, the Big Lottery Children's Play Programme and Marks and Spencer which donated money raised from the sale of carrier bags.

Yesterday children from Weston Park Primary School helped put the finishing touches to the park by planting 24 beech and white beam trees.

Nathan Stephens, nine, lives opposite the park and could play there every day if he wanted to.

He said: "There used to be a really old slider and some tunnels. It's more fun now. There's a big swing and a little swing and a football pitch."

His best friend Kuba Gredzinsk, also nine, said: "It's cool. I like the spinning thing. My dad was pushing me on it the other day and you can really fly on that."

Pauline Warbutton (c), 50, is a grandmother of three and works at the school as a learning mentor.

She said: "The park is much nicer. We bring the children here quite a lot in the summer."

Tom Williams, the service manager for play with Bristol City Council said: "We really wanted to create a natural playground, a playful landscape so that the children will be encouraged to run around."

Michaela Staruchova, ten, and her friends, Cora Passco, nine, and Megan Brown, ten, all love animals and thought the new-look park would encourage wildlife.

Michaela said: "I've been here twice. I like the swings and all the nice grass."

Megan, who enjoyed helping plant the trees, said: "This is much better than sitting in class.

"I would say the swings are the best feature and I like the grass area. Parks aren't just for playing in - they are for animals too."

The trees were planted as part of the council's ambitious TreeBristol programme in Bristol parks and open spaces.

Local children and young people were involved in wood carving workshops, seating design, commissioning the play equipment and working with sculptors to create the park.

Councillor Rosalie Walker, Bristol's cabinet member for culture and healthy communities, said: "I'm thrilled with the new-look Mancroft Park and the difference it will make to the local community.

"The move to a more natural play space gives children and young people a better sense of the natural world round them. "It also allows for creative, exciting and challenging play which encourages increased park use and healthy outdoor activity.

"I'd like to thank all our funding partners for working with the council on this ambitious project and also to the staff who worked hard to ensure local children and young people were involved in the design and creation of the park."