A NEW sensory garden in Nelson for disabled and terminally ill children will be open by May.

Final plans for the garden have been revealed by Brierfield charity Caring Today, which is building the special feature in Victoria Park.

It will include two resident witches sitting beside a cauldron, with a smoke effect and "bats"

And a family of trees will squirt water at the children as they pass. A tunnel structure, complete with an inch of water in the bottom and a sound effect like a burp, will also allow the children, particularly those in wheelchairs, to feel the sensation of water beneath them.

A model of Lancaster Castle will also be decorated with the handprints of all the children involved with Caring Today, serving as a permanent memorial for many of them.

Feeraz Begum, Project Manager at Caring Today who are leading the project, said : "The sensory garden has come about from the children wanting to get involved in events at Victoria Park.

"Previously there's been nothing for children with physical disabilities or learning difficulties to do at events aimed at the whole community, and the garden will give them somewhere to go and play at events like this in Victoria Park.

"The sensory garden is going to be very colourful with lots of different surfaces for the children to explore, plus things like water and smoke. They'll also be able to smell the fragrant plants and herbs planted around the four play features."

The original sketches of the garden were inspired by the children's magical ideas based on Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings.

Pendle Council's Environmental Action Group worked with the children to produce the plans and is carrying out all the physical work on site.

Councillor David Foster, chairman of Nelson Area Committee, said: "We're really pleased that we're able to help out with taking this idea forward for the children of Caring Today.

"Work has already started on site in Victoria Park meaning that the garden is already taking shape.

"It should be completed, and the children able to start having fun in it, sometime in May."

Caring Today is still looking for £8,000 towards the cost of completing the project.

If anyone would like to pledge a donation towards the cost of the sensory garden, they should call Feeraz Begum on (01282) 726003.