Final furlong in racecourse plans

A new entrance pavilion is welcoming racecourse visitors

Full demolition of the grandstand at Epsom Downs Racecourse, in Surrey, is taking place as part of a massive refurbishment project at the site.

The programme has now reached its second phase with the Rosebery Stand already gone and a new entrance pavilion having been built.

Spokeswoman Angela Harcombe said: "It's going to look very different with the grandstand being knocked down."

The famous Epsom Derby race weekend will still go ahead in 2008.

A new grandstand at the racecourse is scheduled for completion by March 2009.

Ms Harcombe said the current structure was "a bit of an eyesore and not overly in keeping with the new entrance and the Queen's Stand".

And she added: "Structurally it's not great, so it had to go otherwise a huge amount of money had to be spent on getting it structurally sound."