Rotters of Barnard Castle, the country's largest community composting centre, is hosting an open day on Saturday, May 7, and running a composting course on Sunday, May 8, to coincide with National Composting Week.

During the open day, people can turn up at the site - by the entrance to Deerbolt Young Offenders' Institution, in Startforth - to see how garden waste is made into compost and charcoal.

To book on to the composting course, call (01833) 690022.