Newts and other species will have a new place to call home thanks to a grant to restore the large pond at Bramley Bank Nature Reserve in Heathfield, Croydon.

The Veolia Environmental Trust have awarded the London Wildlife Trust £8,488 towards giving the pond a makeover.

The pond was identified as requiring significant enhancement. The work will restore the pond as a habitat for aquatic plant and animals, including the Great Crested Newt.

London Wildlife Trust’s Reserves Manager, Tom Hayward, said: "It’s great that The Veolia Environmental Trust has awarded this grant and we look forward to working with them to develop and undertake a scheme that will result in the best for the Bank’s Pond and its wildlife."

The Veolia Environmental Trust’s Executive Director, Laurie McNabb said: "This is great news for Croydon’s environment and we look forward to the scheme starting. "With support from our London panel, our Board rigorously assessed all of the proposals and supported this scheme because they felt it met our objectives and it demonstrated that it would create and enhance a valuable habitat in line with local biodiversity plans."

The grant means Veolia have awarded over £1m to community and environmental projects in the Greater London area.