Work is to get underway on a £400,000 scheme to restore the 40-year-old Apollo Pavilion in Peterlee, County Durham.

Located in the town's Sunny Blunts Park, the pavilion was named after the Apollo space mission and was designed by the artist Victor Pasmore as a symbol of 1960s simplicity.

Having become a target for vandalism in recent years, the pavilion project will see the replacement of a staircase providing access to the structure's upper level, as well as the full restoration of two original murals and feature lighting.

The park area will also be recobbled, and reed beds will be added to the west end of the lake, which will be drained to allow the work to take place.

Makers Fressynet has been appointed to restore the pavilion's original features by District of Easington Council, which has contributed £65,000 towards the work. The Heritage Lottery Fund has also awarded the scheme £336,000.

Chair of the Apollo Pavilion Steering Group, Tim Brennan, said: "The start of this work could not have come at a more fitting time, as December marked the centenary of Victor Pasmore's birth.

"With other major developments planned and on-going in Peterlee, we will hopefully look back at some point and see this project as the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in the town's history."

Photo: Chris Holmes