ANTIQUE wrought iron railings which surround Birchfield Gardens, in Widnes, have been restored, thanks to Halton Council.

They were originally erected around Birchfield House, a mansion built in the 1830s by Edward Young, a prosperous merchant and magistrate.

The house was acquired after the Second World War by ICI, but fell into disrepair and was demolished.

The gardens, with a duck pond, became a public park.

The railings, made by Victorian craftsmen before modern steelmaking processes and protective treatments, suffered a great deal of erosion.

Halton Clr Ron Hignett , board member for the physical environment, said; "The accumulated damage to the ironwork was clear to see, erupting through multiple layers of old paint.

"These improvements will benefit residents and visitors to the area, making it look a lot nicer and giving it a facelift."

Birchfield, Farnworth and Halton View local area forum donated £13,000 towards the renovation and Wren contributed a further £18,500 from the Landfill Comunities Fund.

They were unveiled by Clrs Valerie Hill, Andrew MacManus and Angela McInerney with local historian Arthur Whimperley.