YORKSHIRE Water workers have this month been busy cutting back large amounts of heather on a swathe of moorland to the west of Keighley.

The cutting has been carried out on Keighley Moor over the last few days.

A spokesman for Yorkshire Water explained: "The work taking place on Keighley Moor is part of a longer term plan to reduce the overall amount of heather on the moor.

"Heather dries the peat out which means that when it rains the soil washes off into the water meaning that we have to spend even more money treating it.

"By cutting the heather and spreading sphagnum moss we are aiming for a more diverse vegetation structure with many more peat forming species.

"The heather brash will be flown off site in December, to be used on other peat land restoration schemes in the Peak District."