2,000 Christmas trees planted in sand dunes

Volunteers are this week planting more than 2,000 discarded Christmas trees in the sand dunes between St Annes and Blackpool in the latest annual drive to help the environment.

An estimated total of 2,100 were collected from households across the Fylde coast and and also dropped off at designated points in Kirkham and St Annes following the festive season.

They are being used as part of the Sand Dune Restoration Project helping to reduce the erosion of the dunes to preserve their unique ecology and maintain natural coastal defences.

Officials of the Lancashire Wildlife Trust organised the planting of the trees scheduled over two days in conjunction with Fylde Council, with a host of volunteers along with council workers involved, at North Beach, St Annes.

Many of the trees being buried helped raise funds for charities, via donations in exchange for collection, notably Trinity Hospice, which benefited this year by a record £31,000, including £19,275 from households in Fylde borough.

The trees are planted on the beach to the north of St Annes to help preserve the dunes and keep wind blown sand at bay.