One hundred and sixty hawthorn, blackthorn, crab apple and hazel trees have been planted to replace a hedge that caught fire during the heatwave because of a potential discarded cigarette.

Not content with this, the team has decided to extend the hedge and will busy planting 1,000 more of the same species of trees between January and spring next year.

The hedge will flower next spring and be a vital source of nectar for pollinators such as bees and butterflies and, next autumn and winter, they will provide berries, nuts and fruit for birds and small mammals.

Biodegradable tree guards have been placed round the newly planted saplings to stop voles and rabbits nibbling them.

Weetslade Country Park was developed on the former pit heap of Weetslade Colliery and welcomes over 10,000 visitors each year.

The shallow sloping sides of the hill contain areas of grassland, scrub and woodland.  At the foot of the slopes to the west side of the site there are three developing reed beds, home to many common damselflies and dragonflies.

The site also has a number of seasonal ponds that are dry in the summer and wet in the winter that help with flood prevention as a result of climate change.  Many birds such as grey partridge, meadow pipit, kestrel and skylark are also present.

The highest point on the site is 95m above sea level; prominent on the hilltop is the Drillhead Sculpture, representative of the site’s mining past. Views to the North Sea and the Cheviot Hills are possible on a clear day with Newcastle spread out to the South.

The work carried out was part of the Beelines Project, which aims to plant more than 2,500 trees on over 40 sites throughout Newcastle, North Tyneside and South Northumberland by March 2023.