A BID to restore a small but neglected beauty spot to its natural glory began yesterday with the help of local people.

Members of the public were invited to take part in a day of art, craft and countryside activities as part of the project to brighten up Herrington Burn, in Shiney Row, on Wearside.

A marquee was erected on-site as a team of artists and crafts people helped visitors to learn various new skills, including broom and plant pot making, as well as designing a map of the burn.

The volunteers also helped plant wild flower seeds, which conservationists hope will see the burn flourish next summer, with an adjoining meadow of marigold, corn crake, fox gloves and primroses attracting butterflies, insects and other wildlife.

People attending the event were also given tree seeds, including oak, lime, rowan, ash, haw-thorn and field maple, to take away to germinate, before bringing the plants back for planting at a future event.

Members of Sunderland City Council's countryside team staged the event, in conjunction with the Great North Forest initiative.

Ian Broomfield, lead officer of the council's Environment through Communities project, said: "It was a fun day which gave local people a chance to help out in the wild flower meadow or even leave more of a mark on the landscape by returning to plant a tree for future generations."

The burn is one of several areas in Wearside pinpointed for improvement by Mr Broomfield and team members as part of the Environment through Communities project