TEENAGERS from Hindley have turned an eyesore into an eye-catching work of graffiti art.

Two ‘teen-meets’ in Leyland Park, on Park Road, are well-used simple shelters that provide a place for young people to meet in the 125-year old park.

But six months ago, a display of graffiti art appeared on the shelters, prompting a stark reaction from volunteer group The Friends of Leyland Park.

Chairman Peter Harmer said: “We know the teen-meets are well used but when we saw the graffiti we were a bit taken aback. We had just been working on an improvement plan for the park and what had been done was an eyesore which needed fixing.”

Rather than taking the young people to task, the Friends group decided to help turn their energy into creativity.

Peter added: “We want them to know the park is as much for them as it is for anyone else and our legacy will be to leave a wonderful open space for future generations to enjoy.”

Rob Andrews, aged 16, one of the young people who worked on the project, said: “We did the original graffiti because we wanted to see what we could do so it was really great when we got the chance to do a proper job. We have learnt a lot and we’re really pleased with the designs.”