A COUPLE who have sold hundreds of thousands of Christmas trees over the past 40 years are handing over their flourishing business to the youngest branch of the family.

Ronnie and Bessie Seagrave were running a general store in St Helen Auckland, near Bishop Auckland, when they started supplying a few dozen trees to regular customers.

Now, with their son Peter, they have wholesale clients all over the country who drive hundreds of miles to their depot in Copeland Road, West Auckland.

This year, the Seagraves will be passing on their wealth of experience to granddaughters Jane West, 24, and her sisters, Julie, 20 and 15-year-old Elizabeth.

Jane and Julie already work in the family waste management and pallet distribution company, while Elizabeth is a pupil at St Anne's High School, Wolsingham.

Mrs Seagrave, 77, said: "People don't realise that the Christmas tree season starts in the summer.

"Peter chooses the trees himself, visiting forests in the Scottish Highlands to make sure we get the best quality specimens.

"I think that is why we have built up a good reputation. People know how much trouble we take to get the best trees."

Her own tree this year will be the dark green lodge pole, which is a bushy specimen that has become popular because it does not shed its needles.

Jane is undaunted by the prospect of taking over the seven-days-a-week Christmas operation.

She said: "We have always helped in the business, even when we were at school, and it has become second nature to us. We hope to be just as successful and respected as our grandparents and our father are.