AS WINTER starts to bite, Cumbria Wildlife Trust is asking people to spare a thought for the creatures who live in our gardens and has issued the following advice on how to give wildlife a helping hand.

l A good birdseed mix, such as soaked brown bread, porridge oats, currants, pieces of apple and small bits of bacon fat, will attract birds such as blue tits, coal, tits and chaffinches.

Remember to throw some food on the lawn for blackbirds, thrushes and dunnocks.

To help woodpeckers and nuthatches, smear fat, cheese or suet into the bark of a tree.

l Providing water is just as important as providing food.

This can be easily done using a turned up plastic dustbin lid or shallow tub, but the water does need to be kept clean and ice-free.

l Don't trim hedges too early - wait till mid-winter when all the berries have gone otherwise birds will miss out on a valuable source of food.

l Instead of burning garden debris and leaves, create a compost heap, which will provide a winter home for all sorts of creatures including toads, newts, snakes and hedgehogs, as well as recycling large amounts of household and garden waste.

For a copy of the trust's Environmental Awareness Pack, which has details on gardening and home composting, send an A4 stamped addressed envelope to CWT, Brockhole, Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 1LJ.