Work underway to restore fire-damaged heathland

Work is underway to help restore fire-damaged heathland at a Stoke-on-Trent country park following "devastating" wildfires earlier this year.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council park rangers worked alongside Staffordshire Wildlife Trust volunteers to harvest heather brush, to help restore heathland at Park Hall Country Park, the city's only National Nature Reserve.

The team recently travelled to Marshes Hill Common in Brown Edge to harvest the heather brush, which was then spread across fire-damaged areas of the country park.

The city council said fires earlier this year left areas of heathland "badly damaged".

The heather brush contains seeds that can establish new growth to help restore the vegetation which was damaged or destroyed by the fires.