Staff from the Hull Daily Mail have rolled up their sleeves to clear six tons of rubbish from a dilapidated allotment.

The site was cleared so that children in care could use it.

The project gave eight of the paper’s staff the chance to give back something to the community it serves.

The Mail's production editor, Dan Urben, was more than happy to get his hands dirty.

He said: "Working for the Mail, you rely on the community to call in with stories, place adverts and, of course buy the paper.

"Although we inform, entertain and interest our readers, the benefits of such a service can seem abstract.

"That's why I jumped at the chance to get out of the office, into the fresh air and do something tangible."

At first, Dan found the site’s dire condition a little overwhelming but as the day went on he was delighted with the progress the team had made.

He said: "In the morning we cleared debris and broken glass, turned over the earth, weeded and laid paving slabs.

"The afternoon seemed tougher and the team ran into snag after snag. All were over come and after a hard day's graft it was clear we had made a vast improvement to the site."

Dan and the Hull team found the whole day a great team-building experience and finished the day feeling happy with their achievements.

He said: "If your company is planning a team-building day, don’t bother with paintball, just call Business In The Community. Everyone stands to benefit. Just look at me. My smile will last a lot longer than my aches and pains. I hope."

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