WORK has started on an ambitious community garden project in a North Yorkshire village.

Volunteers in Tunstall, near Catterick Garrison, have embarked on a mission to improve and extend an existing green space behind the village hall. The TIGER (Tunstall Island and Garden Environmental Restoration) project will create a nature trail, sensory garden, woodland wildflower area and disabled access path.

Resident Cec Pullan has given permission for a small wooded island between Tunstall Beck and Thieves Gill to be used. Two bridges will be constructed across the beck to allow access for the nature trail.

Plans for the project were unveiled at a launch in the village hall and attended by Richmond MP Rishi Sunak. He said: "There is lots of hard work ahead but I am sure they will accomplish their mission to create a really beautiful and peaceful space for the whole community to use."

The project will cost £8,000, and £1,000 has been donated by both Tesco and Cllr Carl Les of North Yorkshire County Council.

At the launch event, the project manager Paul Greenwood showed guests and villagers around the site. Work on the sensory garden was underway with members of the Yorkshire Dry Stone Walling Guild providing their services free to create a horseshoe-shaped stone wall enclosure.

Martin Richardson, chairman of Tunstall Parish Council, thanked everyone who had attended the event and in particular those who had contributed time, money and goodwill to help get the project off the ground.

He singled out Mr Greenwood and his wife, Jane, for special praise. They had driven the project from the start in taking over the existing community garden and getting more villagers interested in gardening and growing their own vegetables.