THE opening of a new £140,000 water play facility has made a splash with youngsters in Mary Stevens Park in Stourbridge.

Work got under way at the start of May to remove the old play area which had been in the park for 18 years.

The new facility, which is now going down a treat with young park users, features water jets, cannons, a spray loop and a flower water feature.

A toddler area with water jets and a smaller water feature has also been put in - and the new facility includes fresh rubber surfacing and a new control box with state-of-the-art pumps to reduce water waste and operational costs.

Dudley Council has been able to fund the new splash area from cash left over from a £2.6million Heritage Lottery Fund grant which was awarded to pay for a host of park improvements including restoration of the park gates and bandstand, a revamp of Heath Pool and the war memorial and the creation of a new cafe.

Councillor Karen Shakespeare, Dudley's cabinet member for environmental services, said: “This work was not part of the original Heritage Lottery Fund restoration programme.

“But families told us they wanted to see the water play area improved and, as a result of being prudent, we are delighted to have made it a reality.

“We are confident it will be particularly popular with families visiting the park when the sun is shining, and we would urge people to come down and check it out.”