SKATERS and riders in Thornbury showed off a very different set of skills - namely their prowess at DIY.

Around 20 teenagers left their boards and bikes at home and instead arrived at the town skate park armed with brushes and clad in painting gear to give their favourite haunt a much-needed spruce up.

Unsightly graffiti is now a thing of the past thanks to the cleaning session.

Youth worker Dan Potter, who runs the Street Space project, an initiative made up of volunteers dedicated to reopening the lines of communication with disaffected youths, oversaw the team of painters.

He said the skate park had been needing a coat of paint for a long time.

"It was really good," he told the Gazette. "We’ve pretty much finished. About 20 young people came and went to help paint it. It needed to be done."

Seven volunteers from Inspire Creative Arts also rolled up their sleeves and joined the team.

The paint and brushes were provided by Thornbury Town Council.

Town Cllr Clive Parkinson said: "It was an excellent effort. The town council is very thankful to Dan and all the people who helped on the day for doing the work that makes the skate park work better and operate more functionally."

But the revamping process is far from over and the new and improved skate park could soon be emblazoned with professional graffiti.

Mr Potter added: "Lots of people have been talking about doing some graffiti down there. That’s something we are thinking about doing in the future."