SCHOOLCHILDREN at Catshill Middle School got their hands dirty this week, in a bid to help residents and wildlife in Bromsgrove.

15 pupils helped workers from Worcestershire Wildlife Trust to plant a section of the Battlefield Brook opposite their school, as part of the Love Your River project.

The brook's banks were improved earlier this year by removing concrete sandbags and scrub and reshaping the brook to create a more natural profile.

Work was done on the main Battlefield Brook and the Marl Brook.

The students' work will help to reduce erosion and provide a more suitable habitat for wildlife such as water voles.

Lucy Wood, water and wetlands officer for the Trust, said: "The children planted flag iris, marsh marigold, juncus grass and other native wet-loving plants. It is really nice that they can now do some planting and make a physical difference to their local watercourse - and we are really grateful they wanted to be involved."

Catshill Middle School took part in the Trust's River Rangers programme earlier this year, which taught children about water pollution and the invertebrates living in the brook.

The project is funded by the Environment Agency, with support from Severn Trent, Bromsgrove District Council and the George Wagstaffe Memorial Meadow Trustees.

It aims to improve the water quality in the Battlefield Brook, which is currently failing international water quality standards for invertebrates, plants and phosphate levels.