SHOPPERS, retailers, traders and councillors will see High Wycombe's Frogmoor reborn today as the area is officially reopened after a £1 million facelift.

It is hoped Frogmoor's redevelopment, which has taken more than eight months to finish, will give a boost to trade and transform a formerly drab area of the town into a vibrant caf quarter.

Guests are due to arrive at the site to see the switching on of the area's much-hyped and state-of-the-art water feature just after 11am.

Retailers in and around Frogmoor have largely welcomed the overhaul during which some shops suffered power cuts when workmen accidentally severed electricity cables.

Mayur Saah, joint owner of fashion shop Chevi, Oxford Street, said: "I'm looking forward to it all being finished. We've been waiting a long time for this. It should be an improvement. I just hope the winos don't come back and decide to take a shower under the fountain in the summer."

Abdul Hoque, who recently opened Peppers Restaurant also in Oxford Street, said the facelift had really opened up the area.

He added: "It will be good for us. This has given the area a fresher look. When we first acquired the site there was nothing here, just a few old and drab buildings. This is good for the town."

The opening ceremony has been organised by Wycombe District Council and Buckinghamshire County Council which jointly funded the work.

Bill Jennings, chairman of Wycombe District Council, said: "The area has been transformed in terms of its design and its contribution to the prosperity of the town centre as a whole will be significant. Already there have been a number of new businesses that have come into the area in recent months."