WHEN old Christmas trees have been stripped of tinsel, left bereft of fairy lights and divested of shiny baubles, what do you do with them?

Well, if you're Tony Castle, of Castle Tree Surgeons, in York, then you help them on their way to that great big fir farm in the sky. And you raise a bit of cash for charity in the process.

Pictured here are Tony's children, helping to collect trees at Lord Deramore's Primary School, in Heslington, York.

"We do this every year," said Tony.

"People can bring along their old Christmas trees for recycling and we take them away. They can make a donation at the same time, we collect the money and it all goes to the junior playground at Lord Deramore's School."

Updated: 09:55 Tuesday, January 14, 2003