CIVIC leaders in Hyndburn are enlisting the help of the local public to help protect the borough's trees.

Council chiefs want members of the public to become volunteer tree wardens, who can be trained up to become the "eyes and ears" who watch over and protect the area's greenery.

The move to re-establish tree wardens in the area is an attempt to stop repeats of a controversial culling last year, which saw dozens of diseased conker trees felled.

Campaign group the Friends of Memorial Park was set up to fight the felling, and one idea put forward was to bring back tree wardens.

Wardens -- volunteers trained by the council to carry out tasks including spotting diseased trees -- were used in Hyndburn in the mid-nineties, but were scrapped due to lack of interest.

Now new volunteers have had their first meeting with the council.

Mark Cocks, trees and woodlands officer at Hyndburn Council, said: "Since November we have been trying to recruit tree wardens, and we have been contacting all the different community groups, such as the 'Friends Of' groups."correct

The wardens will be trained in subjects including the law, how to deal with damaged trees and spotting disease.

This year a 'tree forum' could also be established, for members of the public who don't have enough time to devote, but are still interested.

Today the Friends of Memorial Park welcomed the move, and said they had five members set to become wardens.

Barbara Sharples, member of the group, said: "It needs people from across the borough, who care about the trees, to get involved. There are new diseases coming along all the time and unless we have the eyes and ears on the ground the council cannot be everywhere."