WORK has started on a new route between the district's two biggest towns.

A £200,000 project, to be completed in June, will create a shared path for cyclists and walkers alongside the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal from Kidderminster to Stourport.

The towpath is being widened and resurfaced in a bid to tempt people away from their cars and use more environmentally-friendly transport.

A spokeswoman for British Waterways, which is funding the scheme along with Worcestershire County Council, said: "We are keen to encourage all kinds of canal users, not just boaters.

"By carrying out resurfacing work we will ensure a much more comfortable ride for cyclists, as well as improving conditions for walkers and anglers."

A planned second phase of the project will extend the route to the two town centres and connect it with the 6,500-mile National Cycle Network.