HYNDBURN'S babes in the wood need you! Residents have been urged to join a new planting expedition to the Hyndburn Millennium Baby Woodland this weekend.

The woodland was established to celebrate the birth of Hyndburn children in the year 2000 by the Prospects Foundation, a community action group which aims to improve the environmental, social and economic conditions in the borough.

A spokesperson said: "Everyone is welcome to come along and help with the planting. We'll be there whatever the weather."

The event will take place on the site, which is next to the Burnley Road between Clayton-le-Moors and Altham, from10am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday . Refreshments will be provided.

Woodland cover in Hyndburn is very low compared with the rest of the country, the spokesperson added. The Prospects Foundation set up the Trees for Hyndburn intiative to improve the situation by involving residents in growing trees from seed for planting out at sites across the borough.

The Millennium Baby Wood is the first of many community woodland plantings which will be carried out in the future. As well as increasing the woodland cover, the project aims to raise environmental awareness, improve the variety of wildlife and make Hyndburn a better place to live, the spokesperson said.

Planting had to be put on hold last year due to foot-and-mouth restrictions.

The scheme has been made possible by sponsorship from the Cheshire Building Society, Lancashire County Council, the Forestry Commission, East Lancashire Woodlands, the New Opportunities Fund and the Lancashire Environmental Fund.

The site's location will be signed from the Hare and Hounds traffic lights and bus number 152 passes regularly.