Work on a £500,000 scheme of improvements to the River Thames towpath in Oxford is due to start in the next few days.

Oxfordshire County Council has pledged to spend £400,000, and Oxford City Council will top up the pot with £100,000.

The aim is to make the area safe following the tragic drowning of teenager Ben Halsey-Jones on January 21.

Contractors are planning to start work as soon as water levels have dropped enough to get machinery and materials to the river bank.

Temporary repairs will involve shoring up the riverbank with concrete bags, filling in potholes and stabilising areas where the bank is being undermined. Efforts will also be made to remove slopes and provide a more level surface.

The work is expected to take two to three weeks and will focus on the stretch from Medley boatyard, known as Rainbow Bridge, along Fiddler's Island, and up to where the path crosses under the railway south of Osney Lock.

Jean Fooks, city and county councillor, said: "They have been hoping to do it for some time but the river has been too high. Getting on with it is relatively important and they have now surveyed the towpath to see what the problems are.

"These things cost an awful lot, but they have got to decide what can be done and they have got to do something which is going to last.

"Whatever will be done, needs to be done as soon as possible and made as safe as possible because there has been a lack of maintenance along there for a long time.

"The message we have to get out to people is that rivers in flood are dangerous."

A detailed survey will be carried out on the area north of Folly Bridge to decide what permanent work needs to be done.

The money was agreed by the councils in February, but work could not begin earlier due to water flooding the towpath.

Sushila Dhall, city and county councillor, who campaigned for towpath improvements, welcomed the work, but said permanent repairs should be started earlier.

County council spokesman Paul Smith said: "Survey work and project analysis means a long lead-in to the job. Money needs to be spent wisely and in the right areas."

The towpath will stay open during the repairs and warning signs will be displayed.