AN environmental project has helped to keep young people in Wigan and Leigh on the right track and given a new lease of life to a well-used trail.

Hard-working volunteers have laid 160 tonnes of stone on a path running a mile from Green Street to Shakerley Street.

Cath Lomas from Wigan Council's Youth Offending Team helped with the construction of the trail.

She works with young offenders who have received custodial and non-custodial sentences, including those from the Leigh area, in a bid to get them working for the good of the community.

Mrs Lomas said the chance to help restore the path was too good to miss.

She added: "This path has always been well-used but it has deteriorated and become muddy, making it more difficult for people to walk along. The young people have worked extremely hard on this in all types of weather.

"We have laid down a special membrane covered this and them edged it to create a path from what was once just a dirt track. It took us four weeks and four days to complete and we never had one dry day."

Local councillor Mark Aldred successfully applied for funding to help pay for materials used to create the path.

Mrs Lomas added: "This is a real achievement. We have given the young people a direction and sense of purpose.

"At the same time we have given the Shakerley community the use of their path again."