YOUNG people joined volunteers and council staff to brighten Saltwell Park over the weekend by planting flowers in a new bird-feeding area.

The flowers were the finishing touch to the area, which has been created by Gateshead Council with help from Gateshead Youth Offending Team.

Young offenders have created a flowerbed, which the children filled with spring blooms. Other helpers in the project included the Friends of Saltwell Park, Gateshead Countryside Volunteers and Corpus Christi RC Primary School in Gateshead.

Councillor John McElroy, cabinet member for culture at Gateshead Council, said: "This project is very important for Saltwell Park as it will encourage a broader range of wildlife that live and feed in the park.

"The children did very well to get the flowers in despite the cold weather. The bird-feeding area is an excellent addition to the park, not just for the birds, but for youngsters and families to come along and enjoy the wildlife Saltwell Park attracts."

As part of the Saltwell Park biodiversity plan, a bird-feeding station was created to provide a regular food source to increase success rates of fledgling birds and to cut winter deaths.

There is also a wild flower meadow, bird table, hanging feeder and a screen for the public to watch birds.