Visitor numbers are rocketing at one south Essex country park.

Two years ago Wat Tyler Park in Pitsea was getting 150,000 visitors a year, but now 240,000 people are using the park - a 60 per cent increase.

Basildon Council, which owns the park, puts the increase down to the play area built there two years ago.

It includes state-of-the-art equipment from Sweden, Germany and the UK and was paid for by the Cleanaway Pitsea Marshes Trust. The £250,000 park was part of a £1million investment in the park by the trust.

Steve Prewer, Basildon Council's countryside manager, said: "Our aim was to expand the variety and quality of experience for visitors. The response so far has been very encouraging, with visitor figures for the park almost doubling in the space of two years."

Published Thursday April 8, 2004

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