ALMOST 80,000 plants are guaranteed to bring Worcester city centre alive with colour this summer.

Over the next few days, a six-strong city council team will begin digging up spring beds in preparation for the blossoming displays.

These include 310 hanging baskets outside shops and on lampposts, 96 flower troughs to line the city perimeter and 21 flower towers - eight more than last year.

Horticultural officer Graham Redfern said people were always surprised to see them pulling up plants and flowers that were still in bloom.

"If we didn't, there would be a real lack of colour in high summer as the spring flowers die off," he said.

The re-planting, which will take about three weeks, will begin at Gheluvelt Park and work its way around to Cripplegate Park.

Other city parks and traffic islands will then be made-over, including a design in St Andrew's Gardens to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee.

The Droitwich Road park-and-ride site has already been designated as one of the new flower tower sites.