WORK is continuing to increase the number of healthy trees in the Darlington area.

Last July, Darlington Borough Council adopted a tree strategy, called The Enhancement of the Urban Forest.

Since then, a variety of schemes has been undertaken, including the planting of 120 trees on Darlington's inner ring road, and a further 120 trees on the main entrance roads to the town centre.

On Linden Avenue, a tree replacement scheme has been developed, with residents and the council joining forces to pay for new trees to replace dead and diseased ones.

Cliff Brown, the borough council's director of community services, said: "This has been the first occasion where local residents have contributed to the cost of replanting trees, supported by the council.

"It is intended that this initiative will be further developed in other areas."

In West Cemetery, a tree planting scheme has been set up so that members of the public can donate commemorative trees.

There are plans to extend the scheme to the town's other cemeteries.

A free tree scheme has also been developed, so that families who do not have room to plant trees at their own homes can plant them in the Family Wood, at South Park.

More tree-planting has taken place in North Road, near to the White Horse Hotel, where all the trees have been surrounded by ornamental guards to stop vandalism.

Forty voluntary tree wardens have also been recruited and trained to co-ordinate the replanting of trees, and to ensure that trees are not vandalised.

There are now plans to expand the scheme to include an educational package for use in schools and an assessment of trees in all the town's parks.