WORKS to clear 'unsafe' car parks littered with bottles and rubbish have now come to an end following months of toil.

Bournemouth in Bloom was awarded £8,000 by Tesco Bags of Help to clear up the Milburn Road car parks, toilets and the outside area of the medical centre in Westbourne in September.

The grant scheme is funded by money raised from the 5p bag charge and is used to fund thousands of projects across the country.

Bournemouth in Bloom chairman, Revd Chris Colledge, said their 'Greener Westbourne' project was aimed at improving the lives of those who live and work in Westbourne by clearing away overgrowth and tidying up the area that many residents felt unsafe to walk through in the dark.

A year ago, volunteer litter-pickers cleared some of the rubbish in the area collecting 'a phenomenal' amount of bottles, cans and rubbish.

After that, Bournemouth in Bloom applied for a grant to do more to clear the area of the overgrowth and carry out some planting. They are now set to receive the final instalment of the grant as the works have been completed.

"The work has now been finished," Revd Colledge said.

"We couldn't start the work until after Christmas and all of the overgrowth and the site around it has been cleared over the last two months.

"Finally the plants have been put in and the project finished. And now that it has been finished it means that we can feel really proud of this goal that's been achieved.

"It was just a place to throw bottles and litter but now it's a safe and tidy place of tremendous help to the local community. "Now it's something we can all feel proud of."

Revd Colledge added: "I cannot underestimate the hard work and effort which has been put in by Rob Potter, the council's operations manager, and his team to make this all possible.

"I believe Tesco and Rob Potter with his team should be given every recognition."