IT is hoped oak trees will start to grow in a Stockton woodland park thanks to the hard work of a local resident.

To round off National Tree Week, Stockton Borough Council's parks and countryside service invited Keith Burrows to plant about 25 oak saplings he has grown from acorns in Greens Beck woodland, a young maturing wood planted in February 2000 with help from a conservation team from the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust.

Mr Burrows collected the acorns when he was walking through woods one day and planted them into small pots. He cared for the oak seedlings and now, four years later, they are strong enough to be planted in the wild.

Councillor Steve Nelson, the council's cabinet member for the environment, said: "This is a great example of a local resident giving something back to the environment, and I'm sure these saplings will grow into mighty oak trees."