Work is moving on apace at The Burys allotments as council staff and allotment holders work to tidy the site and save the willow tree.

Godalming Town Council agreed to fund the work in July, after hearing that 30 years-worth of garden waste at the foot of the tree was starving it of oxygen, and could result in killing it off.

Councillors were told that action was also needed to save the six-foot hedge along the edge of the site, which was suffering from a lack of sunlight to its roots after leaves and weeds had built up.

Working at the site this month, gardeners have stacked up a pile of miscellaneous items that have been left, including a bathtub, old tools and broken-down sheds.

Godalming Town Council Clerk Andy Jeffry told Nub News that the workers had made good progress.

"So far we have removed about 20 cubic yards of non-organic waste, ranging from large amounts of plastics, old bath tubs, scrap metal and many other non-allotment associated waste," he said.

"This has been accumulated over many years, so hopefully the current tenants will have a fresh start and be able to fully utilise the allotment ground."

The town council is also planning to set up a new composting system on the site.