SAVE OUR TREES: Pupils have dug deep to help a national campaign aimed at securing the future of a threatened species of tree.

Youngsters from Sandon Business and Enterprise College in Meir, including 12-year-old Nicola Wootton, right, planted an elm tree at the front of their school as part of the Conservation Foundation's 'Great British Elm Experiment'.

Large numbers of elm trees were killed off after the spread of Dutch elm disease in the 1960s and the foundation is hoping schools and organisations across the country will join the campaign to help allow a new generation of the trees to flourish.

Teacher Hannah Bull, who helps to run the club, said: "We have about 10 students in the club who are from different years in the school.

"They applied to the foundation to get involved in this project as it is important to help secure the future of the elm tree.

"The foundation supplied the tree and we will now care for it, and monitor its progress."

Picture: Steve Bould