A FIRM is celebrating its 40th anniversary in the region with a tree planting ceremony.

Cummins Engines has been in Darlington for 40 years on Monday and to celebrate representatives from the firm, the community and environmental groups will plant 40 trees.

Mike McCabe, from Cummins, Darlington Mayor Councillor Roderick Francis, as well as Cummins staff and members of Durham Wildlife Trust and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, will help to plant trees around the company's Yarm Road site.

The trees will be native British broad-leaf trees such as oak, beech and ash.

More trees will be given to Darlington Borough Council to benefit the local community. They have been donated through Tree Appeal, an initiative designed to assist organisations to reduce the impact they have on the environment.

Cummins has been awarded the trees by local print company Fountains Associates, which is a member of Tree Appeal.

Through the appeal, Fountains Associates plants a tree on behalf of its customers for every 10kg of print delivered.

Cummins has a well-established track record of environmental awareness.

Mr McCabe said: "We have a strong commitment to the environment and the local community. We felt that Tree Appeal gave us an opportunity to make a significant contribution locally."