FISHING enthusiasts have completed a long term project to brighten up one of their reservoirs.

Members of Darwen Loyal Angling Club have spent the past two years making improvements at Hoddlesden Reservoir, near Johnson New Road.

As well as making it a better place for anglers, including putting more fish into the reservoir, it has begun to attract more walkers from the Hoddlesden area and beyond.

Club chairman Dave Connell said: “We have dug out and done all the paths all the way around and refurbished all the fishing platforms.

“We have also done drainage work where necessary and carried out general maintenance all the way round, which is non-stop really.

“It is really well used now, not just by anglers but by people from the village as well.

“There is just the ongoing maintenance now because it turns back to the wilderness if you don’t keep on top of it.

“Before this work you couldn’t go all the way around and when it rained there were streams of mud and you needed wellies on.”

Mr Connell said the majority of work had been funded by the club, with some coming from a grant.

He said: “We had a bit from the Crown Paints and Darwen Town Council Community Awards to help us finish it off.

“But the rest has come from our own funds.”

The club did get some help when Steve Hartley, owner of Darwen firm WEC, replaced an old wooden bridge last year.

Mr Connell said: “The old wooden bridge had basically rotted away so I asked Steve if he could help.

“He got his apprentices to build the bridge and pupils from Darwen Vale helped design it. That kind of help means a lot.”

East Rural councillor Julie Slater said: “They have done a lot of work around there and have done a really good job.

“Now it is a team effort to keep it clean and they are making sure people are picking things up.

“They have made it really nice and now we just need to get the message across for people to pick up their mess and take it home with them.”