IT WAS like a scene from Ground Force with all the clock beating drama of that famous TV garden makeover show.

And the green-fingered pupils of Eastleigh's Crestwood School only had to look round the cor-ner for a taskforce of DIY experts.

Directors at the nearby B&Q head-quarters left their desks and high-powered meetings to make a dream come true for the Shakespeare Road school. The DIY kings provided the top level manpower and materials to help Year Eight pupils transform the school's nature area.

And the captains of industry helped to work a daily miracle by creating a new pond, viewing platform and constructing a pergola.

Eight B&Q directors, including MD Martin Toogood, rolled up their sleeves and pulled on their wellies to make sure that the massive project was all completed in one day.

It involved draining the old pond, filling in with three tons of sand, covering with a liner and calling on the fire brigade to restore the water.

As well as planting shrubs there was the equally time-consuming task of laying a gravel path. The team had only dug a few inches when they hit a concrete obstacle.

B&Q's Director of Logistics Tom Barry suddenly found his problem solving skills being put to the test as he and his fellow directors strove to overcome the problem.

Mr Toogood started his day with a meeting at 8am, broke away to join the executive working party at Crestwood and then went back for more top level meetings - still wearing his muddy overalls.

He said: "We are delighted to be able to assist the school with their project. The wildlife has already started to come back to the area. We have just seen our second frog of the day!

"There has been enormous enthusiasm from the management team to take part in this community project to celebrate B&Q's 30th birthday." The pinstripe workforce had been working from plans prepared by the school's environment group with the help of Nick Webb, of the Eastleigh Council-based Itchen Hamble Countryside Project.

Nick said: "Initially the school approached me asking for help to repair their pond. When I got there I could see that the area would benefit from a complete overhaul."

Science teacher Claire Allen said: "It would have taken months to do the work and years to raise the money for the materials. We are very grateful to B&Q and everyone else who has helped."

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