GREEN-fingered youngsters have been getting their hands dirty to brighten up a rose garden at an historic park in York.

The Friends and Little Friends of West Bank Park in Holgate have been planting primroses to mark the start of replanting the garden in the park.

Roses affected by disease in the garden are being replaced with plants which will grow healthily and enhance the garden’s wildlife and recreational value.

The planting scheme, created by the Friends of West Bank Park, includes child friendly shrubs, trees and grasses to attract bees and pollinating insects, as well as climbing wisteria and clematis for the pergola.

The plants have been donated by York’s Ultra Fibre Optic (UFO) network from TalkTalk.

The donation to the park is part of a community support programme run by York’s UFO during its full fibre network expansion project, to bring lightning fast broadband speeds to 55,000 homes and businesses across York by 2020.

The network build continues in Holgate where some residents can already connect to York’s UFO joining residents in Dringhouses, Woodthorpe, Foxwood, Chapelfields and Poppleton.

Catherine Heinemeyer, chair of the Friends of West Bank Park, said: “We are looking forward to transforming the rose garden this spring to create an area that everyone can enjoy and which will attract insects, birds and wildlife.”

Helen Fletcher, marketing manager for York’s UFO, added: “We are delighted to be helping with the replanting of the rose garden and giving something back to the community while we complete the build of our gigabit network here in Holgate."