MORE than 60 primary school children got their hands dirty by planting hundreds of trees in Roe Lee Park.

Youngsters from Roe Lee Primary School and Longshaw Community Junior School and volunteers from Blackburn's Keep Darwen Tidy group planted 420 saplings which were donated from the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy initiative.

Tree species included silver birch, cherry, goat willow, Hawthorne and blackthorn.

Blackburn's MP Kate Hollern and Roe Lee councillor Phil Riley also help plant the trees.

Mark Geldard, head of Roe Lee Park Primary, said it was important for the children to contribute to the area and plant the trees which will benefit the area for years to come.