YOUNG people in Hartlepool are being urged to show how much they care about their environment.

Officials from Hartlepool Borough Council is seeking entrants for the national Greenfingers Challenge 2003, which is run by Encams (Environmental Campaigns), formerly the Tidy Britain Group.

The competition which is being backed by Hartlepool Borough Council's Pride in Hartlepool campaign, is open to groups of five or more young people aged under 18.

Entrants are challenged to adopt a site and turn it into an imaginative, sustainable and practical garden. The winners will receive cash prizes, as well as certificates and trophies.

Andrea Bishop, the council's Pride in Hartlepool officer, said: "There are lots of young people across the town involved in a range of environmental improvement schemes and this competition could offer them a chance to win some much-deserved recognition.

"Even if they were not to win, they would still have the satisfaction of knowing that they have made a major contribution to the ongoing efforts to make Hartlepool a cleaner and more attractive town."

To help competitors on their way, Encams will send out a free gardening kit which includes seeds, pots, tools and a disposable camera to record progress.

The council's Stranton Nursery, in Tanfield Road, will also be offering a ten per cent discount on plants to groups entering the Greenfingers Challenge. To qualify for a discount, they must show the Greenfingers sticker contained in the Encams gardening kit.

To register on-line to take part in the competition and to qualify for a free gardening kit, groups should log on to www.encams.org