A sod cutting ceremony at Marine Hall in Fleetwood has marked the start of a £1m project to transform the gardens and take the grounds back to the venue’s heyday of the 1930s.

Doreen Lofthouse, whose family has donated a substantial amount of money to the project, officially cut the first patch of earth. She was joined by representatives from Wyre Council, consultants BCA Landscapes, the scheme’s appointed contractor William Pye Limited plus local businesses to celebrate the beginning of a new era for Marine Hall