RIDERS have praised a new £500,000 cycle route which has been built on an old "unusable" muddy footpath.

The track stretches for a mile and links Cobridge to Festival Park, Etruria, where it joins the city's main cycling network.

Within minutes of Lord Mayor Jean Bowers cutting the tape across the 8ft (2.5 metre) wide route, enthusiasts were giving it the thumbs-up.

The path takes cyclists through pleasant fields and woodland in Grange Park, and overlooks fascinating industrial scenery once occupied by the old Shelton Steelworks.

St John's Residents' Association chairman Sue Dennis said at the opening ceremony in Stonor Street: "This is a proud moment for Cobridge.

"These paths were unusable until this happened. They were in a terrible state. Now they are just perfect for both cyclists, and walkers, to enjoy.

"Projects like this also add to the social cohesion in our area, and the Asian community has been instrumental in helping get it completed."

Community leaders say it will also be a real tonic in an area where inactivity goes hand in hand with sickness rates among the highest in the city.

The scheme was funded by a grant from Sport England, which has contributed to a total of £10million being spent to make the Potteries a cycling city, with 80 miles (130 kilometres) of paths.

It was pushed for jointly by Burslem and St John's residents' associations. A fun day was held at Cobridge Community Centre after the launch, which included face-painting and "wild play", where children were encouraged to make items out of natural materials found in the surrounding countryside.

Sport England, which is part of the Department for Transport, has given Stoke-on-Trent £4.8 million to make the city a national beacon for cycling by next year.

The sum is being matched by Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

At the opening ceremony on Saturday, Burslem South ward councillor Mohammed Pervez said: "It is fantastic that such a muddy place has been transformed into this superb pathway.

"As well as opening up a green part of the city, this will prompt more people to become active in an area with such high rates of illness. So it is a win-win project."

Derek Capey, cabinet member for sport and leisure, pictured, said: "The Grange Park Greenway will provide another great opportunity for people of all ages to get on a bike and cycle safely throughout the city."

The Grange Park scheme is of the biggest to be completed so far as the city council aims to double the level of cycling through training, events and route improvements.

Last month Stoke-on-Trent Primary Care Trust said it wanted to open up more green areas to help make the population fitter and healthier.