A COLOURFUL addition to a Milton park has kickstarted the improvement of the area.

Coco the Caterpillar, made of coloured rocks, is a proud new resident of Milton Park by Vallay Street, after a Chirnside Primary pupil Tilly O'Hara found a creative way to occupy her time and unite a community during lockdown.

She decided to create the stone caterpillar to draw more people to the park - and it is working.

"It went a bit mental", her father Stephen O'Hara said as he explained that the local community has embraced the idea.

"It is just a park right in the middle of Milton and I think it has been overlooked for years.

"It has just grown arms and legs and once stones started to appear she kept saying she will be able to make new friends in the park."

Five-year-old Tilly has connected with other organisations such as Make Milton Magnificent and North United Communities which helped organise a stone painting event.

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"It has just started momentum for the park and for more people starting to use the park," Stephen said.

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After stones vanished from the park twice, but Tilly is keeping her father busy after she instructed the caterpillar was to be embedded in place with cement.

"She was upset a couple of times because the sign was pulled down but then she started talking about fairies - at that point, I phoned my work to see if I could get back from furlough yet," he joked.

He explains Tilly is now hard at work on a fairy trail to bring further magic to the park. she hopes to finish before school starts back up again. He added: "Tilly is definitely keeping us busy."

But it is not just the park which has profited from the creation of Coco the caterpillar, Stephen adds: "Tilly is a little bit shy but even over the last week you can see a difference in her confidence."

Councillor Jacqueline McLaren said the underused park became a great asset during lockdown.

"I think we should support such initiatives, especially when they are community driven by young people.They are planning more activities for the area and it is all Tilly's idea. It is a lovely idea . There is a lack of amenities in the area and we are really trying to improve it for the people that live there. This is a great thing because all the kids have gotten on board."

Inspired by Coco, a litter pick in the area has been organised for the end of the month.