VOLUNTEERS are celebrating after planting 500 trees in their village since they set out five years ago to replace those coming towards the end of their life.

Their efforts mean for the next century at least there will been an excellent variety of trees in Cotherstone, near Barnard Castle, County Durham.

They formed a group Trees for Cotherstone after realising some of the local species were well past their best.

Chairman, Ian Moorhouse, said: "Those we have put in will be a reasonable size in about 20 years' time and will keep on growing for many decades.

"So the village is assured of having a wonderful show of them well into the future."

The group, which received initial Local Heritage Fund cash has since received grants from the Lottery Fund, recently held a celebration reception in the village hall and issued a booklet explaining its efforts.

This shows pictures of the 22 most common species planted -- including oak, beech, lime, sycamore, ash and hawthorn - and the route of a walk in which they can all be seen.

The volunteers have a nursery in which trees are grown from seeds and tended until they can be planted out.

Large timber and wire cages are then built around them for protection.

Mr Moorhouse added: "We have an extremely good success rate of around 99 per cent because everyone takes care of the new plantings."

Children from Cotherstone Primary School have also helped by collecting seeds and suggesting sites.