More than £50,000 is to be spent on an Oxford park which police said had become a haven for prostitutes.

A grant of just more than £17,000 was due to be approved by Oxford City Council's Cowley area committee on Wednesday to help spruce up trees, benches and dog bins in Cowley Marsh park.

But councillors agreed an unexpected £33,000 for a new path around the edge of the park. Father-of-three Fuwad Chaudhary, 28, of Cowley Road, said: "They do need a path around there, but I think they need a bit more lighting more than anything else. A lot of people don't use the park because they don't feel safe enough. You need to bring light so people can see and that way kids will be happy to use it in the evenings."

Cowley area police Inspector Graham Sutherland last year called for measures to be put in place to make the park more attractive for residents and less inviting for prostitutes.

He said: "I'm delighted to hear that the money has been released, because it does need a bit of a tidy-up.

"I can't argue with the fact that it's still being used by prostitutes. I have been looking at it over a period of time and there's still evidence that it's going on. We're concentrating our PCSO patrols through there to try to discourage it."

Mr Sutherland said improved lighting could have an effect on that kind of behaviour.

He had not seen plans for the footpath, but said if it was in a poorly-lit area, lighting should be added. More than £90,000 was allocated to be spent on the park from the developers of the former Oxford Bus Company garage site under a legal agreement.

Saj Malik, who represents Cowley Marsh on the council, said: "Lighting and security are in the pipeline for the next stage, when we will be sorting out the entrance. We're also looking for sponsors to put a flowerbed in there and, if there's enough money, maybe CCTV as well.

"This would help cut down on antisocial behaviour and prostitution."

Jan Dybalski, of Westbury Crescent, was enjoying the park with his five children this week and said: "I think it's money well spent. This place is becoming somewhere which is ideal to bring children along to.

"We want our kids to have plenty of fresh air and exercise and the boys love to play football, so anything that provides activities for children I'm more than happy with."