This is how Circus Road in St John's Wood may look following a £500,000 revamp.

Circus Road is undergoing a transformation including replacement of lampposts with energy-efficient street lights and new paving which will be covered in 'Magic Cote', to helps protect it from chewing gum.

As part of the upgrade, by Westminster Council, new wooden seats and flower beds will be placed next to the junction with Wellington Street, allowing tired shoppers to rest their legs.

The council's cabinet member for environment and transport Cllr Danny Chalkley said: "We're pleased to be working towards the regeneration of this area, as improving local high streets is essential to ensure small shops survive.

"Research shows local shops benefit from improvements to their streets, as these make them better able to compete with surrounding retail areas.

"These changes, together with our refurbishment of St John's Wood High Street three years ago, make economic sense as people want to shop on high streets which look good."

The work, part of the council's Civic Streets programme, is due to be completed in June.

Residents in the area have also suffered long-standing problems from lorries making deliveries to the Tesco Express store in nearby St Anne's Terrace.

They have sometimes clipped buildings and caused damage to people's cars, so the council is also looking to find a solution by providing a dedicated loading bay at the front of the store.

For more information about Civic Streets, see www.westminster.gov.uk/civicstreets