GREEN-FINGERED youngsters brought a touch of Ground Force to a community centre garden.

Children from the Earcroft area of Darwen got to work on the weed-ridden patch of land at the Earcroft Community Community Base, Blackburn Road.

The group spent three days uprooting unwanted greenery and replacing it with a selection of brightly coloured flowers. Organised by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council as part of Green Week 2001, there was also a decorated stone competition. Michelle Rutherford, development officer at the centre, said: "It looks much better now. It had been a mess for quite a while.

"Hopefully we will be expanding the project into the wider community in the summer when we arrange litter picking sessions."