THE two Northwich rotary clubs combined on World Polio Day by planting 5,000 purple crocus bulbs in and around the town.

Part of the Rotary's Purple4Polio campaign, members of Northwich Vale Royal and Northwich Rotary Club were assisted by members of the community and other organisations.

At Making Space residential unit, James House, 1000 crocus bulbs were planted in a heart shaped area on the front lawn by James House residents, staff and the two Northwich Rotary Clubs, together with Cheshire West and Chester Council Countryside Rangers.

In Verdin Park Northwich Vale Royal Rotarians planted a further 1000 crocus bulbs near to the playground area, and were assisted by young people from Northwich, and at Russett School planting has begun on another 1000 purple crocus bulbs.

Hartford Civic Society will be planting an additional 1,000 purple crocus bulbs later in November in conjunction with Northwich Vale Royal Rotary Club.

The purple crocus bulbs represent the purple dye used to paint children’s fingers in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria once the children have been vaccinated.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio is still endemic, and Nigeria was declared Polio free in 2016.

The World Health Organisation anticipate Polio could be finally eradicated by the end of 2017.

A spokesman for Rotary Club of Northwich said: “Since 1985, Rotary has contributed over $1.2 billion and countless volunteer hours to the protection of more than two billion children in 122 countries, and the Rotary funding has been matched on a 2 to 1 basis by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.”

The planting should produce a colourful spectacle sometime around February next year at several sites around Northwich.