A million pounds worth of new equipment is the town hall's solution to the shoddy state of Hounslow parks.

Council chiefs say the specialist kit, which includes sit-on diggers, triple mowers, rotary mowers, tractors, blowers, strimmers and litter trucks, along with new working patterns for gardeners, will turn around the state of playareas and green spaces that have been slammed by residents in recent weeks.

More than 100 staff employed by Continental Landscapes, who have been sub-contracted to manage parks by John Laing plc on behalf of the council, will use the new tools after previous contractor CIP was ditched last month.

Cllr Adrian Lee (pictured), Hounslow Council’s lead member for leisure and culture, said: “This whole fleet of state-of-the-art equipment means staff have all the tools and specialist kit they need to make parks across this borough cleaner and tidier. We have excellent staff working in our parks, and it’s imperative they are able to do their valuable work properly, hence this investment.

“We are very aware of how residents feel about their parks, and how much they enjoy and value them, and we hope this investment and renewed emphasis in parks management will reassure people that it is a priority for us too.”

The council promises all parks in the borough will now have more time spent on maintaining them, with Gunnersbury, Inwood and Boston Manor Park each maintained by gardeners based on site throughout the week.

Parks like these are described as “Key Parks” and will be maintained on a weekly schedule, with smaller parks being worked on every two weeks. Hanworth Park is currently undergoing maintenance work, which is expected to be completed in mid-July.