CHILDREN from an infant school are learning how to grow vegetables in Crossley Park, Ripley.

Amber Valley Borough Council has allowed the pupils from Lons Infant School to have a small piece of land in the park to cultivate.

Since then the children have been visiting the vegetable patch every week to check on how their newly-sown carrots, onions, radishes and runner beans are growing.

In April the school asked the council if it could officially adopt Crossley Park.

The pupils have since attended a ceremony to help plant an oak tree donated by the school and have also taken part in a competition, organised by the council, to design a flower bed.

The winning flower bed design has now been planted.

Head teacher Linda Williams said: "Being involved with Crossley Park has been a tremendous boost for the school, especially as we don't have large grounds of our own.

"We hope the involvement with the park will encourage the children to continue being responsible for it as they grow up."