FAMILIES are turning their backs on artificial trees in favour of the real thing, according to a company boss who brings Christmas to East Lancashire homes.

Chris Day, who runs the British Christmas Tree Company from his parents' garden off Clitheroe Road, Whalley, revealed a sales boom of 30 per cent this year.

Every year from November Chris takes time off from his two businesses, Fresh Flowers Northern and Flower Stalls, to farm thousands of trees in time for Christmas.

Most years the most popular tree is the Norway Spruce, which typically accounts for 40 per cent of sales.

But this year it was the Nordman Fir with 60 per cent of sales, then the Norway Spruce at 25 per cent. The remaining 15 per cent was shared between Lodge Pole Pine, Fraser Fir, Nobel Fir and Scotts Pine.

As well as supplying trees wholesale to councils and garden centres, Chris sells to local families and businesses, who drive up and pick their own.

Chris said: "Sales are up 30 per cent this Christmas.

"We think it is down to a mixture of people knowing a bit more about our company and also that people are wanting real trees.

"We've had people coming from as far as Birmingham to dig up their own tree. We once had a couple who brought a bottle of whisky with them to toast the tree before they dug it up.

"People are quite welcome to dig up their own but we usually do it for them, get rid of the branches at the bottom and put them in a net."

Chris told how he started the business: "I thought it was a good idea to make a bit of extra money. The thought of buying a tree for £1, growing it and selling it for £6 seemed to make sense.

"Without my mother and father this really would not be possible and I really would like to thank them.

"The first batch I grew was a total waste of time. The second batch was spot on and I've gone from there really.

"The basics are trimming the trees a couple of times a year, spraying for aphids and making sure the grass around the trees is strimmed three times a year."

Fresh Flowers Northern supplies the North West and southern Scotland with fresh cut flowers and plants while Flower Stalls is a chain of flower stalls based around Manchester.