A NEW park that has opened in Purfleet will feature an edible hedge.

The Mardyke Pocket Park, which is the final piece in a series of Thurrock Council Green Grid projects in the West Thurrock and Purfleet, will offer visitors a chance to pick berries and nuts from the hedges.

Work on the park has also seen grass areas opened up and play features added.

The project includes improvements to highway verges on the Arterial Road and Purfleet bypass, removing illegally parked lorries and increasing the areas of wildflowers.

Two safer crossing have also been built as part of Thurrock’s Green Links.

One on Footpath 16 as it crosses West Thurrock Way and another on Tank Hil Lane, linking the Mardyke Estate to Spiderfield and the RSPB Purfleet Centre.

The aim of the project is to help link communities and provide better access to open spaces, schools and employment.