Eco-friendly volunteers have been manually clearing overgrowth at a hidden nature reserve in preparation for a new meadow.

Earlier this year, Waltham Forest council announced it had received £22,300 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to make Pimp Hall Nature Reserve more accessible to the public.

The beauty spot, situated behind a recycling centre off Kings Road in Chingford, boasts a 17th century dovecote, wildlife pond and a wetland area.

Work has now started to turn a large open section into a bee-friendly meadow, sown with native wildflowers.

Rife with commons weeds, nettle, deep-rooted comfrey, wild carrot and litter, concerns were raised by environmentalists as to how the council would clear the site.

Fearing the council would use herbicide glyphosate, which was recently classed as "probably carcinogenic" by the World Health Organisation's research body, environmentalist Mick Holloway stepped in.

The Waltham Forest and Redbridge Green Party member said the use of glyphosate would have the opposite affect of attracting bees at Pimp Hall and asked the council to hand-dig the site.

Since then, diggers from The Conservation Volunteers, the Friends of Pimp Hall and the Waltham Forest and Redbridge Green Party have been busy clearing the site in preparation for sowing next month.

Mr Holloway, said: "Glyphosate has been widely used as a herbicide for over 40 years.

"Although easy to use and initially effective, it is a product which is being increasingly questioned by researchers in terms of its environmental impact.

"This is a chance for those who love and cherish the natural world and want to preserve its beauty and diversity to 'be the change' they want to see."

If you would like to volunteer on August 20, 21, 25 and 29, call 07928 423 645.