FOLLOWING weeks of criticism regarding Herefordshire Council's grass-cutting cutbacks, Hereford Rotary Club members have been beautifying city verges ready for Hereford in Bloom judging. This flower bed at the bottom of Aylestone Hill has been weeded, rotavated and planted with 480 petunias and the surrounding grass has been mown.

CITY of Hereford Rotary Club have been playing their part in beautifying one of the gateways to the city.

Club members spent a morning, rolling up their sleeves and digging over the flower beds on the roundabout on the A4103 road to Worcester, at the bottom of Aylestone Hill, before planting an attractive display of new flowers.

"This is the third year that we have had responsibility for the roundabout," said club president Paul Morris.

"In the first year, everything was planned in association with Amey but, this time, the onus has fallen on us so we went off with a trailer and collected plants which we have then planted in the beds.

"Several of our members spent a morning working hard on something which we believe is important in creating a good first impression of the city when visitors arrive."

Now that the beds have been planted, Balfour Beatty will take on responsibility for carrying on with watering the new flowers.