Alan Titchmarsh has joined forces with Plantlife to launch a UK-wide campaign to save the nation's threatened native wildflowers...

The campaign aims to stop councils mowing down native wild flowers on our road verges.

"There is nothing more beautiful than seeing primroses, cowslips and wood anemones and orchids an other native wildflowers popping up along our roads, lanes and hedgerows , a sure sign that spring has finally arrived! But every year councils mow down these beautiful wildflowers almost as soon as they appear and for no apparent reason," said a spokesperson for Plantlife.

"Since the 1940s, 97% of Britain’s wildflower meadows have been lost so road verges are the last refuge for our wildflowers. Yet mindless cutting sprees by councils mean wildflowers don’t have chance to set seed, which wipes colour from the countryside and deprives wildlife of a vital food source.

"Alan is throwing down the 'Alan Challenge' to councils and asking them to delay cutting their road verges until later in the year. He also wants the nation to join 'Alan’s Army' so together we can encourage councils to do more to protect the wayside flowers in their care."

For more information visit www.plantlife.org.uk