How unseen army of old Christmas trees are playing crucial role in protecting coastal town from beach flooding

If you’ve been for a day at the seaside, you may have noticed used festive saplings at the top of the beach. But how did they get there, and what are they for? It’s no accident.

A new documentary looks into why used Christmas trees get part-buried in the sand on parts of the Lancashire coast - and how they are protecting the town against floods. In the 12 minute programme, video journalist Lucinda Herbert interviews people involved in this unique coastal project - which is likely to pique the curiosity of holiday makers, day trippers and dog walkers alike.

The Shots! TV exclusive also goes into the trenches with some of the hard-working volunteers who spent the day burying the 2,000+ trees over a three day ceremony.

Organised by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, the event was attended by groups of volunteers from all over the North West - including corporations and environmental groups.

Watch Building The Sand Dunes on Shots! TV Freeview channel 262 and Freely channel 565 at 7.30pm on Sunday, or on-demand at Shotstv.com now.

The trees were collected from homes across the Fylde coast by Trinity Hospice volunteers - and raised more than £31,000 for the charity. Over the year, the trees capture in-blowing sand and help to build up the stretch of sand dunes, which can then be used to plant grass and become a unique habitat for wildlife in St Annes.