GARDENERS in Spennymoor have been rocked by the temporary closure of town centre allotments.

Nearly 60 growers who rent plots at Timothy Terrace have been forced to down tools for two months after a small section of land was found to be contaminated.

Among those affected is Eden Residents' Association, which is transforming two overgrown plots into a community garden called the Garden of Eden.

Spennymoor Town Council has asked tenants to keep off the site and not to eat any produce until it receives the results of a full inspection of the land, which is expected to be completed by July.

The council was forced to close the site to the public and call on Sedgefield Borough Council to carry out further analysis after a routine soil survey detected levels of heavy metals exceeding Government guidelines.

The residents' association, which was formed to help rid the area of anti-social behaviour and strengthen its community spirit, hoped to unveil the Garden of Eden in September.

But because work cannot be completed the opening has been postponed to spring.

The association's secretary, Cynthia Bell, said: "It is a big setback. We have materials ready for building work but cannot do anything during the season that we hoped it would all come together.

"Plants are being looked after in our back yards, which defeats the point of bringing the community together through the garden project.

"We are hopeful we can get it sorted quickly, as we always planned to buy in our soil, and are still as enthusiastic as ever."

It is hoped the contamination will be traced to a single source, such as a bonfire or fly-tipping, and is contained within a small patch of land that can be treated.

A Spennymoor Town Council spokesman said: "We have requested an intrusive survey of the full site to clarify the status of the allotments and arrange further works if deemed necessary.

"Both councils are taking steps to minimise the disruption and are mindful that the closure will have a substantial effect on tenants of this well- used site, but feel the uncertainties that now surround the allotment site make this the only option."