AN old churchyard that became a wilderness has been tidied up thanks to a group of civic-minded men.

The six men were fed up with the state of the grounds at the former St Paul's Church - it was demolished a decade ago - in Quarrington Hill, which had become overgrown.

With no-one sure who was responsible for maintaining the land, they decided to take action themselves.

With support from the village youth club, which gave money for a strimmer, and muscle provided by some of its members, the group organised a tidy-up operation.

Billy Jones, of Neil Crescent, said: "There are between 250 and 260 gravestones, including three military graves, but nobody could get in to have a look because it was like a wilderness.

"It was a real problem and nobody seemed to be taking responsibility. We felt ashamed and decided something had to be done.

Mr Jones added: "People can get to the headstones now. We feel a lot better and the village is talking about it. We are really satisfied that we have done it and the only worry is who is going to keep it tidy."