A £50,000 children's play area will complete the transformation of an Oxford recreation ground which was once dubbed 'Heroin Park'.

The play equipment at Manzil Gardens, off Cowley Road, includes facilities for disabled children and concludes a four-year initiative to clean up the area, which was once a haven for drug dealers and drunks.

When the Manzil Garden Project was first launched, the park was riddled with used syringes and the area was a no-go area for local residents.

Since then, police, local businesses and residents have transformed the area, which once attracted drug addicts from all over Oxfordshire, into a pleasant open space for local people.

The old play facilities will be pulled out this month and replaced with the new equipment by the end of June.

The equipment is being built off-site and includes a centre piece designed by Russell Dominian surrounded by 10 pieces of play equipment, including swings and a roundabout.

Special play facilities for disabled children will be installed after consultation with disabled groups.

Funding for the play area has come from local businesses, East Oxford Action and Communities Against Drugs.

Local beat officer, Pc Chris Griffin, has been involved in the project to regenerate the area and drive out criminals.

He said: "The aim of the Manzil Garden Project was to return the only green space in east Oxford back to the whole community, rather than a handful of people intent on acting in an anti-social manner."

Wider paths, increased visibility and surveillance, extra lighting to reduce the fear of crime at night and new basketball and football facilities are among the improvements.

Crime reduction officer, Pc John Mulloy, added: "Before we had drug users from all over Oxfordshire congregating on that area and stopping other people from using it.

"Now it is being used a lot more by local workers, residents and children. We are never going to get rid of drug dealing completely, but compared to how things were there has been a dramatic improvement."