A TOWN has been able to build a new path to its playing fields with the help of a £10,000 lottery grant.

Upton Town Council has used the money to improve the 'diabolical' track, which is used in the run-up to festivals.

Town councillor Peter Webb said the old track became muddy during the winter, making it difficult to use.

He added: "In the winter it was diabolical, you couldn't get through it, it was just mud.

"The playing fields are used for festivals. They bring their tents and stalls - it all comes in that way.

"Now when you turn into the playing fields we have about 30 metres of gravel."

Town councillor Graham Francis said: "It's very heavily used, especially for the festivals.

"It was a track through the grass before. Now it's a gravelled surface, it's drained too.

"When it got very wet they used to get bogged down because it flooded up the top end.

"It used to flood very badly. It wasn't satisfactory at all.

"It was wearing away with all the caravans and vehicles going down it.

"If we were going to continue to have the festivals we had to make it more accessible to vehicles, especially heavy vehicles."

The councillor said caravans use the track to get to the fields for camping.

He thanked the National Lottery for the funding and praised the town council's employees for securing it.

The opening of the new path, which links with Old Road, off Old Street, Upton, took place on July 20.