LITTLE green fingers will be digging, planting and weeding away to make a Westmorland town beautiful for a county-wide floral competition after the damage wreaked by storms.

The youth of Appleby has pulled together to ensure the town can enter this year's Cumbria in Bloom competition which, without their help, could have been in doubt.

Town mayor Councillor Frank Harland said that, without a series of youth groups pledging their support, the town's entry into the 2005 competition would have been "marginal".

"The youth groups have stepped in in a big way," he said, adding that if a single year's entry was missed, it would be "very, very difficult" to generate enough enthusiasm to participate in later years.

Coun Harland said attractive approaches to the town and a beautiful town centre would boost tourism and generate more cash for the community.

He said the Scout Group, Guides, Brownies and the Air Training Corps had all committed to giving Appleby a floral facelift.

However, he was keen to stress that adults were also involved - the Rotary Club, Inner Wheel, Friday Club and Appleby-in-Westmorland Society will all do their share of horticulture.

Much of the work that will be done is needed to tackle the damage caused to the town by the January floods.

Coun Harland said: "The one area we want to concentrate on is Jubilee Bridge, that has been very, very badly hit.

"The car park has been completely scoured away all the gravel has been transferred onto the picnic area. It's badly scarred."

He added that trees had been smashed down in the strong winds and powerful flows of floodwater had caused extensive damage.

Head teacher of Appleby Primary School Stuart Hetherington said his pupils would be involved, although exactly how remained to be finalised.

He said the youngsters could produce posters or even build an environmental garden, adding: "Hopefully we will be able to help out."

Projects carried out by the youngsters are to be photographed at monthly intervals to build up a portfolio to show to the judges that it was not all just a last minute effort. The projects will also be entered for the junior competition.