AFTER a three-year wait, children in Corston, near Malmesbury, are celebrating the completion of the village's new playground.

North Wiltshire District Council originally promised the play area would be opened in Rodbourne Road in 1998. It had put aside £10,000 for skateboarding, football and basketball facilities the previous year.

The equipment was only installed last year because of a number of delays, and it was then discovered the basketball nets could not be used because of overhanging electrical wires.

The playground, meanwhile, became increasingly overgrown with weeds.

Children were finally allowed to use the playground last month when Southern Electric finished moving the electric cables.

Mark Lane, 12, said: "I didn't think they would ever finish it. I've been waiting since I was nine years old. But I'm pleased now. We use it every day."

His brother Adam, 10, said: "It has given us something new to do."

Corston parish councillor Daphne Jones said: "Better late than never. I'm delighted it's finished and I hope the children will enjoy using it, even if it is three years late."

Rodbourne Road resident, Muriel Chivers, said she was pleased the weeds had been removed.

She said: "It was a terrible, overgrown mess.

"It looks a lot tidier now."