A CUB pack that has been working hard to protect the environment has had its efforts rewarded by Darlington Borough Council.

The dedicated members of Heighington Baden-Powell Wolf Cubs, in the village near Darlington, have been presented with an Environmental Achievement Award by the council for its activities over the past few months.

Paul Crompton, the local authority's parks and environment officer visited the group to present the award.

The group originally began environmental work as part of a merit badge. Since then the cubs have taken part in a variety of activities.

These have included working at the Admiralty Ecology Site, at Urlay Nook, batwatching, learning about beekeeping, going on nature walks at the Tees barrage and Saltburn beach, growing sunflowers, litter picking in Heighington and learning about recycling.

Sharron Marshall, the group's Akela, said: "One of the things they enjoyed the most was the litter picking, as this was in the village and it is their area.

"When we visited the ecology site we planted trees and then came back a bit later to see how they had taken, and they were quite excited about that."

The group is also planning to create a copse and wetland area at Heighington playing fields, in memory of Andrew Muckley and Natasha Wilson, two of the group's leaders who both recently died from cancer.