New play equipment designed by Thurrock school children has been unveiled at a special event in Horndon.

Residents joined councillors and the mayor of Thurrock today to officially open the new playground at Horndon on the Hill Recreation Ground.

The site was prioritised for refurbishment by Thurrock Council because the previous play equipment was more than 30 years old.

More than 200 designs were submitted in April by schoolchildren aged between four to 11 years from Horndon Primary School.

The most popular play items, including a climbing wall, slides and small obstacle course were then incorporated into the final design.

Aaron Watkins, councillor for the environment and sports and Leisure, said: “I’m delighted that Horndon Recreation Ground will benefit from this new playground. We wanted to make sure this was fit-for-purpose from the start and incorporated designs and ideas to create an environment suitable for children of all ages.

“We are committed to ensuring children, young people and adults can make the most of our parks, and have invested £1.35million to be spent on parks.”

Mayor of Thurrock, Terry Piccolo, said: “I’m pleased to have been part of this official opening and hope this playground will be enjoyed by future generations for years to come.”

Residents and visitors at the opening also enjoyed a range of activities including a sports day, as part of the Active Parks summer programme.