PLEADING letters from more than 30 schoolchildren have prompted a tidy up of a garden area on Mount Tavy Road in Tavistock.

The small, sheltered area by the Stannary Bridge is owned by the town council and has become unkempt in recent months.

At last week's meeting of the town council's properties committee, Cllr Ted Sherrell said he had been bombarded by letters from pupils at St Rumon's Infants School who wanted to see a variety of improvements.

Cllr Sherrell said: 'I received 33 letters from individual youngsters and one from the entire yellow class — some were, shall we say, uncompromising in their tone!'

Cllr Sherrell said the garden was 'badly over-grown' but since reporting the children's concerns to works superintendent Les Bennett, the grass has been cut in the area.

He said the children wanted to see more trees and flowers in the garden, with seats, a picnic table, a tarmac path and climbing frames.

'Some said they would like more birds there — I think that would be beyond even the genius of the town council,' admitted Cllr Sherrell, though he hoped money could be found for the 'basic infrastructure' in the area to be improved.

He said: 'I think this highlights a situation we are in. Over the years we have taken on little bits of land here and there, and frankly we have to say one day, "Do we have the means to take it on?".

'The outdoor staff can't be everywhere and then we all get it in the neck, rightly so.'

Mayor Judith Williams pointed out that trees had been planted in the area — she did not think play equipment was appropriate next to the river.

'We were asked to leave it as natural as possible and whatever we do is attacked by vandals. I would prefer it to be left reasonably unkempt — I would not like to see a play area there,' she said.

Cllr Norma Woodcock suggested wooden tree trunks made good seats which also looked natural.

Mr Bennett said the area was 'very awkward to service' and staff were operating on 'a shoestring'.

He would investigate the cost of providing a tarmac path in the area and said wooden tree trunks would be relatively easy to provide, as the council is in the process of felling trees in the town.