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We present a new K_s-band survey that represents a significant extension to the previous wide-field K_s-band imaging survey within the 0226-04 field of the VIMOS-VLT deep survey (VVDS). The new data add ∼458arcmin² to the previous imaging program, thus allowing us to cover a total contiguous area of ∼600 arcmin² within this field. Sources were identified both directly on the final K-band mosaic image and on the corresponding, deep χ²-g'r'i' image from the CFHT Legacy Survey in order to reduce contamination, while ensuring compilation of a truly K-selected catalogue down to the completeness limit of the K_s-band. The newly determined K_s-band magnitudes are used in combination with the ancillary multiwavelength data for determining accurate photometric redshifts. The final catalogue totals ∼52000 sources, out of which ∼4400 have a spectroscopic redshift from the VVDS first epoch survey. The catalogue is 90% complete down to K_Vega=20.5mag. We present K_s-band galaxy counts and angular correlation function measurements down to this magnitude limit. Our results are in good agreement with previously published work. We show that using K magnitudes to determine photometric redshifts significantly lowers the incidence of catastrophic errors. The data presented in this paper are publicly available through the CENCOS database.