WILTSHIRE Wildlife Trust is looking for people in the Devizes area to help with a new research project into home composting.

The innovative study, run in conjunction with local authorities, is the first of its kind in the country. It will examine how successful home composting is in diverting rubbish from landfill sites.

Rebecca Midgley, the trust's home composting officer, is looking for people who currently compost their kitchen and garden waste to join the research project.

Volunteers will be given a free compost bin along with a small kitchen collection bin. They will asked to put the things they would usually put into their own compost bin into the research bin for one week a month.

The only other thing volunteers need to do is to give Ms Midgley access to the research bin once a month so that she can weigh the amount of compost.

"Landfill sites in the West Country will be full in only five years time, so by helping the trust monitor how much rubbish can be diverted from the dustbin to the compost bin, volunteers will be helping tackle Wiltshire's huge rubbish problem," she said.

If you live in Devizes or surrounding villages within a five-mile radius of the town and currently make compost at home, and can help you should contact the trust on (01380) 725670 or e-mail compost@wiltshirewildlife.org