MORE than 60 people have joined a new group to protect and promote an Oxford park.

At the Headington Festival, held in Bury Knowle Park earlier this month, 66 people expressed an interest in becoming a ‘friend’ of the park.

The Friends will be able to suggest ideas to improve the park and apply for grants.

Ruth Wilkinson, who represents Headington on Oxford City Council, said: “A lot of people are very proud of the park and have some great ideas on how to develop it.

“What we want to do is produce a management plan that will make sure that improvements to the park that people want will actually happen.”

The park, in London Road, will be the fourth city park to have a friends group, following Florence Park, Hinksey Park and Cutteslowe and Sunneymead Park.

At Florence Park, the friends group campaigned successfully for the park to be locked at night to keep out vandals.

Mrs Wilkinson said exactly what would be done to the park would be discussed after the group’s first meeting, which will take place next Wednesday at St Andrew’s Primary School, in London Road, at 6.30pm.

Bob Clarke, 76, who walks his dog regularly in the park, signed up to become a friend.

He said: “Cutteslowe Prak seems to have been improved quite a bit since they started off an organisation like this, so I m prepared to put a bit of time into endeavouring to get things improved.”