FOR the fifth year running, West DEN will be collecting hundreds of Christmas trees for recycling.

Trees can be left in the marked area near the recycling banks any time before noon on January 7, or taken to the Leg O? Mutton car park in Yelverton on Wednesday, January 8 for chipping.

The chipping by trainees from the charity?s Rural Skills project will take place at the car park in Yelverton on that Wednesday.

In conjunction with West Devon Borough Council, entry forms for a prize draw with a first prize of B & Q vouchers worth £1,000, donated by West Devon Management, will be available to residents presenting a Christmas tree for recycling on that day only at the car park.

Bags of chippings can be collected by the public free of charge from the car park on Wednesday, January 8 ? preferably after lunch.

Project manager Richard Halliwell said that every year about five million Christmas trees were dumped following the festivities.

?Last year we had a fantastic response to the scheme, which showed there was a need to do something locally.

?Hopefully, this year we will recycle an even larger number of trees, which will be put to good use as chippings for local gardens.?