COUNTY Durham could be made a brighter place thanks to an offer of free compost made from recycled garden waste.

Premier Waste Management and Durham County Council are making the offer to the county's 99 town and parish councils, for planting projects.

The mulch is made at the Joint Stocks recycling complex at Coxhoe - home to a "windrow" composting scheme. Green waste, including grass, old plants and trimmings, is shredded and placed in rows which are regularly turned.

Moisture content and oxygen levels are carefully controlled and the result is top quality compost.

The scheme - carried out with Premier Waste Management, the council's waste management contractor - is just one of a range developed to meet Government and European targets on recycling and composting.

Durham County Council leader Ken Manton said: "This is high quality compost which has undergone rigorous testing and has more than met the standards required.

"Clearly, there is a limit to the quantity each council can have, but every bit will help.

"Planting projects have an immediate impact and I expect many areas of the county will be brightened up as a result of this scheme.

"Green initiatives such as this are the way forward in our efforts to meet recycling targets and help protect the environment, and by working with our partner councils we can ensure the benefits are felt as widely as possible."