Families got together for a community tree planting event in Attleborough on Saturday.

Almost 30 people, mostly children, gathered at Gaymer's Meadow for another event organised by the town council to replace sick and unsafe trees that had to be felled.

Fifteen trees were planted on Saturday as part of the town's tree re-planting scheme, Attleborough in Leaf, including 14 apple trees donated by Busseys and a pear tree. It follows a similar event in December, and there will be another next month.

Town mayor Sam Taylor said: 'It was great fun and lovely to see families doing something together that doesn't cost the earth.'

She explained that the council had undertaken a huge tree survey over the last 12 months which led to 43 having to be felled for health and safety reasons, including 17 on Gaymer's Meadow (which used to be the orchard for Gaymer's Cider).

They wanted to replace them as soon as possible and, as Attleborough in Bloom had to be cancelled because of the drought and hosepipe ban early last year, they launched the Attleborough in Leaf project, helped by local volunteers, including tree consultant Neil Thomas, and local businesses.

'I'm a great supporter of community gardens which encourage families to get outside and do things together out in the fresh air,' said Mrs Taylor, who is also landlady of The London Tavern.

'The meadow was the town's orchard and we're putting it back, and we might plant fruit trees in other open spaces in town, too, so that wherever you live you have access to free fruit. I'd also like to plant some blackcurrent and redcurrent bushes.

'There aren't many inexpensive things you can do as a family, but our hope is that families will be able to spend an afternoon together collecting some fruit, then go home and do some baking.'

She said the names of the people who took part, and pictures of the children beside their trees, with each tree numbered, would go into the archives as a record of their efforts on behalf of the community.

The families involved included: Jake Linnitt and Connor Fraser and their mum; Chantelle Warren-Peters and Lydia Nagle; Daniel and Lilly Trousdale-Drake and their mum; Mia and Emma Golding and their mum; Genevieve and Jemima Hilton and family; Felix and Jasper Gray and family; Jay, Megan and Colby-lee Warren and family; Leo Frost and family; Taila, Lacey and Lewis Taylor, and Chris Cromack.