A Northumberland village has been given a boost with 14 new parking bays to help support the community and open up local businesses to passing trade.

The new bays have been installed by the team carrying out a £3.5 million project that will help protect the River North Tyne from pollution.

Northumbrian Water and its partners, Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB), are working on upgrades to the sewage treatment works in Wark, near Hexham, which will triple the site’s capacity, making it capable of dealing with future population growth and additional rain from climate change.

While working in the area, the team learned of Wark Parish Council’s ambitions of increasing car parking capacity in the village, and the issues it was having finding the funding needed.

As a thank you for the support and patience of villagers while the treatment works upgrades are taking place, members of the project team took time out to help the parish council, creating five new bays on Hexham Road.

Additionally, stone was donated and laid to create a hardstanding area that offers an additional nine parking spaces close by.

Edward Jeffrey, chairman of Wark Parish Council, said: "Parking is a long-standing issue in the village, so these 14 new spaces on Hexham Road are a real boost for residents and visitors alike.

"When we heard the team from Northumbrian Water and MMB were happy to support the community, we told them what we were hoping to do, the benefits extra parking spaces would bring, and the stumbling block of getting funds to carry out the work.

"We were delighted that they so readily agreed to step in and do the work, and we’re really pleased with the outcome."

Colin Burdon, Northumbrian Water’s project manager, said: "Installing these parking bays has been a great way to say thank you to the community, and the support of our partners, Mott MacDonald Bentley, who delivered the work, has been brilliant.

"We couldn’t be happier to have found this way of showing our gratitude to the people of Wark."

Work on the sewage treatment works upgrades is due to complete by the end of the year, helping to reduce sewage spills into the River North Tyne.