Young skateboarders are testing their skills on state-of-the-art pipes and ramps thanks to a £500,000 revamp of a Bradford park.

The new skate park for skateboards, rollerblades and BMX bikes is just part of the makeover of Parkside Park in the heart of West Bowling.

Since work started on the park about a year ago it has been transformed from fields with old play equipment into a showcase for the whole community.

The revamp includes new play equipment for younger children with more challenging equipment for older children; the Big Boulder - the only artificial climbing boulder of its kind in the district; and the skate park.

Two multi-use games areas with floodlit basketball and football pitches are being installed and should be ready by summer.

The transformation has been spearheaded by community-led regeneration company Bradford Trident, which provided £200,000 for the scheme.

Mark Fielding, of Bradford Trident, said: "Before this the park was a field with some very old play equipment. We ran a lot of consultation with local people, especially young people. We went to look at other facilities in the area with young people so they could say what they liked and did not like about them.

"The park is a focal point for that particular community and a facility for children and young people which is unique in the wider area. The skate park is the only one in West Bowling.

"It has transformed what was a quite flat, barren area with a bit of old play equipment into a fantastic facility at the heart of the community."

Large areas of the park have been landscaped and new pathways and benches fitted.

And, thanks to a £20,000 grant for three years from Barclays Bank, West Bowling Youth Initiative hopes to train volunteers who will oversee skateboarding and biking courses for all abilities three times a week.

West Bowling Youth Initiative project co-ordinator Aki Siddique said: "It's all within the early planning stages.

"It's really accessible and it will get the kids off the streets and participating in different activities. It will reduce crime and improve the health of young people. The residents are really enthusiastic about it."