A new soft play area has opened in Prudhoe.

The woodland wildlife-themed area, full of slides, balance beams, and climbing apparatus, is located at Prudhoe Waterworld.

The three-storey piece of equipment is expected to be a popular addition for younger visitors to the centre.

It was made possible thanks to £60,000 of funding from Northumberland County Council.

While children burn off energy playing, parents can make use of the nearby seating area and enjoy snacks and drinks from the café.

Sessions, which must be booked in advance using the Places Leisure app, last for one hour and 15 minutes.

Children aged between 1 and 8 years are charged £4.50, with under 1s charged £2 to use the new facility.

Northumberland County Councillor Jeff Watson, cabinet member for improving healthy lives, said: "We have an ongoing commitment to continually improve the standards and offer of sports and leisure facilities across the county and Prudhoe Waterworld is one of the centres we are investing in.

"In addition to the soft play, we have also committed to invest £1.5 million to upgrade and refresh the centre and plans and costings are currently being worked up."

Prudhoe’s ward and county councillor, Gordon Stewart, said: "This is an exciting new addition for the town and I am sure it will be really popular and bring hours of fun for families with young children.

"It is so important our residents and visitors have great facilities to enjoy their leisure time and physical activity and the soft play will provide a great space for children to have fun, let off steam, and be active."

Prudhoe Waterworld, which opened in 1990, welcomes around 140,000 visitors a year.

It houses a gym, fitness studio, main pool, and wave pool in addition to the new soft play area.

The original pre-school soft play area was closed last year.

More improvements to the fitness centre, including the gym and studio areas, have been made in recent years, along with the installation of more environmentally-friendly pool equipment.

These changes are all part of the county council's multi-million-pound investment in leisure facilities.