A GARDENER is offering to give away many of his gardening tools.

Malcolm Johnson, 74, of Chester-le-Street, has two allotments in Cocken Lane, Great Lumley, near Chester-le-Street, one of which he has worked for many years.

He is giving up the one, which he has had for three years and where he used to hold allotment sessions for local schoolchildren. “It is getting too much, especially as I have my own allotment right next door to it,’’ he said.

“I took it on as a temporary arrangement and it is getting a bit much for me.

“The vegetables I grow on my own allotment I take home, but the produce from the other one I give to the council for the old folks of the village.

“It means the meals are cheaper that they get at the community centre.”

“All the tools we have there were used by the schoolchildren and were bought off friends, which I very much appreciated at the time.

“I would love to give them to a good cause, to another school.

Forks, spades, rakes, hand tools that have hardly been used

“If they are going to help other gardeners I’ll be quite happy to give them away.”

The collection includes forks, spades, rakes, and hand tools

Anyone interested in finding out more about the tools on offer can call Mr Johnson on 07765 287858.