A DERELICT pond which has been left unattended for 20 years will be restored thanks to an £8,000 grant through the Ponds for Life lottery scheme.

The Friends of Sunnyhurst Wood want to restore the pond as the family attraction it once was.

Dennis Gillibrand, of the group, said the pond was previously referred to as the frog pond' by children who visited the spot at weekends.

But the pond had become overgrown and filled with debris over the years. Now a clearance was under way.

Mr Gillibrand added: "We decided as a conservation item we would restore it to its original glory. It used to be quite an attraction."

The project comes after a £2,600 project to improve Sunnyhurst Wood for out-of-town visitors was completed at the end of last year.

The scheme included installation of six directional finger-posts pointing out Darwen Tower, Tockholes, the visitor centre and the bandstand.

Thousands of walkers visit the wood each year and in 2005 the beauty spot was awarded a Green Flag award and Local Nature Reserve Status.