AN appeal has gone of for broken or unwanted garden tools for recycling by prisoners.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has teamed up with Tools Shed, The Conservation Foundation’s recycling project, in a bid to make use of unwanted tools by restoring them.

The garden hand-tools are refurbished in prison workshops, providing training for prisoners and supporting them in finding work post-release.

The tools are then donated to local school children and community volunteers to help create and maintain green spaces.

The list of suitable items includes spades, shovels, leaf rakes, soil rakes, hand forks, trowels, hoes and lawn edgers.

Collection crate for unwanted tools are sited at Blackburn and Darwen's Household Waste Recycling Centres.