DON'T create a log jam over free wood if you have plans to visit a waste recycling centre in Booker over the coming days - because it isn't ready yet.

That’s the message to the public after the felling of around 100 trees at the High Heavens recycling centre over the weekend.

The site was closed on Saturday and Sunday, but has now reopened to the public. A number of people turned up to the site on Monday in the mistaken belief the wood was ready to be taken away.

Wood will be made available to the public to collect and use in their own homes, but people need to wait for about two weeks until it is chopped up into logs and distributed. At that point, they also need to ensure the wood is dried out before it is placed on the fire.

Richard Marks, Project Officer at Buckinghamshire County Council, said: "The tree felling is now complete and the logs are visible on the ground at the entrance to the recycling centre in Clay Lane.

"A number of people turned up in the mistaken belief that the wood was ready to be taken away. Unfortunately, we had to tell them they have to wait until it is processed.

"We are going to chop it up into foot-long pieces and split the logs ready to be collected. They will be unseasoned which means they have to be dried out first before they can be used on the fire."

He added: "Once the wood is ready to be given out, we will announce it on our website and through the local media. Then a set amount will be given out every day on a first-come, first-served basis."

The Council is urging that, when the wood does become available, people do not take too much for themselves, so there is enough to go around for everybody.

Up to date information will be available at www.buckscc.gov.uk