Youngsters in Denholme have been mucking in to tidy up a neglected corner of the village.

A team of five friends has been clearing a graveyard on the corner of Foster Park Road which had become overgrown and litter-strewn after years of being left unattended.

Zoe Butters, 18, Rachel Bevington, 14, Briony Manning, 15, Katie Sutcliffe, 14, and Charlene Reeday, 15, have been scything down the dense undergrowth in the graveyard, which was part of the former Weslyan Methodist Chapel.

Once the area is cleared they hope to landscape it and return the area to its former state.

They are embarking on the project as part of West Yorkshire Police's Lifestyle scheme, which encourages young people to get involved with projects of benefit to the local community.

And their good deed could land them the holiday of a lifetime in Florida.

Zoe explains: "Once we have completed the project we will send a write-up and photos to Lifestyle and they will judge it alongside others they've received.

"There are a number of prizes and the top one is a family holiday in Florida.

"We will be popping up here whenever we can, and we hope to have it finished by September."

The young team rose to the challenge after town mayor Councillor Barbara Rayner suggested tackling the derelict area of land.

Fellow town councillor Hilary Mayes is also overlooking the project and providing help and advice when necessary.

Cllr Rayner says: "I think its absolutely brilliant that the girls are doing something constructive and it will be really great when its finished.

"They have already cleared a lot of the rubbish out and they've got a lot of good ideas about how the area can be improved."

The team will submit its project for judging at the end of September. The Bradford & Bingley Building Society has provided funding for a second skip, which was due to arrive this week.

The team estimates it needs another two skips to finish the project, and is looking for sponsors. Anyone who can help should telephone Cllr Rayner on 01274 418741.