GAZETTE & HERALD: A TEAM of military and civilian staff has come to the rescue to cut nettles, brambles and long grass in a village churchyard.

The team of 16 went to work to return the churchyard at West Kington near Chippenham to spick and span condition.

They.are part of a project team at the Defence Procurement Agency based in Bristol.

Lt Col Mark Williams who organised the clean-up, said: "The churchyard at West Kington was looking a little dishevelled. Normally the parish has a strimmer party where local people turnout to keep the undergrowth under control.

"They didn't have that this year so we were delighted to help them. The staff members who did it all volunteered, and it's part of the agency's team building activities that assist the community."

Lt Col Williams, who lives near Chippenham, said: "When we did the work it was raining heavily but that didn't put us off and we dug out ground gutters that were clogged up.

"We cut away nettles, brambles and long grass and tided up some trees that had become overgrown. We burnt all the rubbish we cut down.

"When we had finished the churchyard looked far tidier and it will now be easier to maintain."