A £35,000 target to create a playground for children at the Alexandra Hospital has been beaten, writes Becky Procter.

The extra money means CCTV can be installed on the site, at the centre of an appeal by the hospital's League of Friends since last year.

Work to complete the site had been delayed due to poor weather conditions but recent sunshine means the final foundations will soon be laid and the playground will be up and running in a month.

Delighted league member Colin Kershaw said: "We have enough for all the things we wanted.

"The foundations can be started, the storage shed will be put up and the whole play area should be ready in a month.

"We also have enough money to install a security system in the form of CCTV, although the children will always be supervised."

The playground has been designed to aid the recovery of both able-bodied and disabled children.

Scores of people have helped raise money towards the appeal, including two police officers from Bromsgrove who did a sponsored bike ride.

Mr Kershaw said: "We are so pleased. Not only can we afford to put the things in we wanted but more as well - it's the icing on the cake. It is so exciting."