Tower Hamlets Council (THC) has announced that a new cultural trail will be at the centre of improvements to the Banglatown and Spitalfields area due to be unveiled next month.

An event will be held on 5 March to mark the official opening of the scheme, which has benefited from £8.6m investment and incorporates the Brick Lane Cultural Trail and the Chicksand and Hanbury Street open spaces. An illuminated minaret-like structure and eight information boards form part of the cultural trail, as well as two arches that are currently subject to planning permission in a bid to boost tourism and business.

THC leader Lutfur Rahman said: "The trail is just one of a host of projects funded by this money, and as the first phase of investment is nearing completion, I want to show people where the money has been spent." Other projects as part of the improvements have included the creation of a new youth centre at London Metropolitan University and improved facilities for young people at Christ Church Gardens.