Green-fingered residents got a helping hand from police officers and schoolchildren who donned gardening gloves.

Students and staff from Rydens Enterprise School, youth intervention officer Phil Jebb and Hersham neighbourhood officer Neil Bourn all pitched in with weeding duties for resident groups in Hersham and Walton this month.

Police constable Phil Jebb, from Surrey Police, said: "It was great to see such hard work and dedication from the pupils and staff helping local residents with their gardens.

"The students conduct was excellent throughout and they should be extremely proud of themselves, particularly as they all volunteered their services to the residents."

The initiative that was introduced to build relationships between the school and residents had been a "huge success" in its aim, he added.