TWO teenagers who were fed up of people using their local green space as a dumping ground have cleaned up the area for the benefit of their community.

Chelsea Downs, aged 19, and 17-year-old Kirsty Thomas, said they were embarrassed and concerned at the state of the piece of land off Captain Fold Road, in the Peel estate, Little Hulton.

Now, with the help of other volunteers, the girls have turned the scrubland into an attractive garden to celebrate the Queen’s diamond jubilee and the 2012 Olympics.

Miss Downs, who helped remove 30 bags of rubbish and also creosoted a fence, said: “I’ll never drop litter again because I can see how hard it is to clean up and what a difference it makes when you do.

“People really like what we’ve done and can see it’s a good job.” Apprentice child carer Miss Thomas promised she would shout at anyone she sees throwing rubbish.

She said: “When I used to walk past this area, it was terrible, really overgrown and not safe, especially at night. If young people got involved in things like this, they’d never drop litter, ever.”

The girls were helped by representatives from training charity Rathbone, which helps young unemployed people into work, and City West Housing Trust.

City West has provided fencing, bedding plants, seeds and bird boxes for the area.

Neighbourhood officer Rebecca West said: “Our residents complained that they were constantly dodging dog dirt and litter.

“They have been so impressed with the young people’s work that they want them to help do their gardens now.”

The garden was opened by Cllr Val Burgoyne last week.