THOUSANDS of people flocked to Crystal Palace Park to skate on an ice rink set up on the site of the old palace.

The London Development Agency (LDA), Mayor Ken Livingstone's agency for business and jobs, teamed up with Greenwich Leisure Limited to create the rink and draw visitors to the area.

The rink opened on December 10 for a month and more than 13,000 people came along.

New Year's Eve was the busiest day, with 924 people coming to skate where the Crystal Palace stood before it burned down in 1936.

Bromley Council's executive councillor for leisure Neil Reddin said: "I am pleased it has gone so well and pleased so many people are coming to the park.

"I hope the LDA can see its way to doing this next year."