Hatherleigh villagers have grouped together to manage the village’s verges in order to help protect the local wildlife.

Hatherleigh’s inhabitants grabbed their scythes and shears to chop, cut and trim the hedgerows to clear rubbish and manage the wildflowers which must be sheared each year to keep the ecosystem going.

Joanna Pullin, organiser of the event, said: ’A lot of people were working. It was a real mix of people.’

Ms Pullin said she had noticed far less rubbish this year than she had done in the past, and thinks this might be due to an increased appreciation of the environment during Covid lockdowns.

’What I have noticed is the enormous rise in local support. We might only have a handful of people on the round but we have got the support,’ she said. ’I think projects like this have become well supported as people are becoming increasingly aware of their behaviours on the environment.’