HUNDREDS of residents have collected free trees from City of York Council.

The council hosted a tree giveaway this month, offering residents a free sapling to plant in their garden or land they own.

The initiative commemorated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and supports the city’s tree canopy target.

Around 500 trees were donated to the initiative by Woodland Trust and residents registered for a free tree with such enthusiasm that all 500 were allocated within six hours of the scheme going live on Thursday 3 February.

Last Wednesday, collection sites were set up to facilitate the giveaway as residents visited their chosen location to collect either a Hazel or Rowan sapling to plant.

Cllr Keith Aspden, Leader of City of York Council said: "It’s been great to see so many residents keen to get involved in this latest initiative. This once again highlights the level of enthusiasm our residents have for improving York’s environment, tackling the impact of climate change, playing their part to build a cleaner and greener city.

“This is only the beginning for York’s tree planting. We have an ambitious tree canopy target to reach by 2050, as well as the York Community Woodland to plant and develop. I would encourage any residents who missed out on this giveaway to get involved in the many activities throughout this year to support the creation of the woodland and tree planting across the city.”