BEKONSCOT model village will add a new 120 metre railway track to its host of attractions in a bid to halt falling attendance levels.

The plans were approved at a meeting of the South Bucks District Council Planning and Transportation Committee on December13.

The model village has long been one of the leading attractions in Beaconsfield but has recently suffered a fall in visitor numbers.

Managing Director Brian Newman-Smith said: "I hope this new railway line will bring in more people.

"Our number of visitors has decreased because of new trends such as Sunday opening and more local competition."

All profits raised at the village go to either the Church Army or the Roland Callingham Foundation.

The foundation was set up in the 1920s and helps needy causes such as the Guides and St John Ambulance.

Last year, Bekonskot Model Village raised more than £40,000 for these causes.

Mr Newman-Smith added: "The more people that come here, the more money we raise and the more the charities will benefit."

The model village is a depiction of rural England in the 1930s and already contains one of the finest gauge one railways in the country.

The village will open from February to October. Admission is £4.50 for adults, £2.70 for children.