AS people strip their homes of festive decorations today, the Environment Agency is urging the public to recycle their Christmas trees and help reduce the risk of flooding.

Every year following Twelfth Night hundreds of old Christmas trees are dumped in rivers and streams, which can block river flows and increase flooding.

A hotspot in Swindon is Hreod Burna brook.

Dumped trees have to be fished out at public expense by the Environment Agency flood defence officers.

They patrol the riverbanks to ensure the rivers flow as freely as possible and are able to cope with the extra winter rainfall.

If the trees are not removed they can quickly cause localised flooding as debris builds up behind them and drains become blocked.

Over five million Christmas trees are bought every year and if they were all thrown away they would create an additional 9,000 tonnes of waste enough to fill the Albert Hall three times.

But with local authorities offering Christmas tree recycling facilities it is now easier than ever to dispose of your old tree responsibly.

In Swindon you can recycle your tree at the Barnfield Road site.

Geoff Davies, leader of the council's waste management team, said: "We guarantee to recycle all Christmas trees taken to our Barnfield Road site.

"They are chopped up and mulched and used in the planting of other trees."

The site is open seven days a week from 8am until 4.30pm.

Members of the public are advised to avoid going to the site at weekends if possible.

North Wiltshire District Council also offers a Christmas tree recycling service at its household recycling centre at Mopes Lane off Cricklade Road, Purton.

It is open from 9am until 4pm seven days a week.