LONDON, ENGLAND - OXFORD Circus, the heart of London's West End shopping and entertainment district, is set to undergo a Tokyo-style makeover with a new 'scramble crossing' layout.

In a bid to ease crowd congestion and cut out the lengthy routes around the interchange, people will be able to walk diagonally across to their destination in a pedestrian free-for-all.

Barriers and street clutter will be ripped out in a new design based on a busy crossing in Shibuya, the Japanese capital's equivalent of London's West End.

'The parallels between Shibuya and the West End are stark: Apart from both locations being hugely popular, they are also important fashion and entertainment areas,' said an official, adding that these changes are part of a whole series of improvements already taking place in preparation for 2012 when London hosts the Olympic Games.

The changes, which will cost ?4 million (S$10.7 million), are due to start in a year's time and take around nine months.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE