Gardeners of the East End have been given a reason to be cheerful after winning their battle to keep the flower beds of St Matthew’s Churchyard fertile.

The East London Garden Society has come out on top after calling on Tower Hamlets Council not to grass over the beds in the church in Bethnal Green.

The Council had planned to replace the beds with grass as a cost-cutting measure - but opposition from local gardeners mean the beds will be returned to their former glory.

To celebrate the victory, the Society will hold an afternoon’s entertainment at the Church from 2pm on April 14, featuring food and drinks as well as a blessing for the beds.