A COUNCIL’S wood giveaway has been declared a huge success after hundreds of people flocked to a recycling centre to collect free logs.

Buckinghamshire County Council gave away about 44 tonnes - the equivalent to 500 bathtubs - of unseasoned wood to customers and local residents at the High Heavens Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) over a period of 12 days.

At random times each day between April 14 and 25, numerous builders’ bags filled with chopped, unseasoned wood were put out at the HWRC in Booker.

Hundreds of residents filled their car boots with free wood and the giveaway proved so popular the bags lasted for no more than three hours each day.

Lesley Clarke, Cabinet Member for Planning and Environment at Buckinghamshire County Council, said: "We always thought it was a good idea to offer the wood to the public for free, but we are stunned and delighted by the fact that so many people turned up to collect logs from us.

"I’m also grateful to the Bucks Free Press and Star for publicising this so effectively and generating so much interest in this giveaway."

The wood came from the trees felled recently at the site as part of work to widen the access road and build a new junction.

BCC thanked customers for taking part in the giveaway fairly and reminded them to season their wood before burning, in order to avoid creosote build-up in your chimney, which can lead to a roomful of smoke, a lack of fire and a chimney fire at worst.