Put your Christmas tree to good use once the festivities are over. 

Christmas tree recycling points will be open across Brighton & Hove from Saturday December 27 to Friday January 30. 

Last year Brighton & Hove City Council recycled 122 tonnes of Christmas trees and hopes to do collect even more this year. 

All the trees are put to good use and turned into woodchips, which are used in the city's parks throughout the year. 

Trees can be left for recycling at the following locations:

Brighton:

- Bevendean, Upper/Lower Avenue shops

- Brighton Household Waste Recycling Site, off Wilson Avenue

- Coldean Lane, A27 junction

- Dyke Road Ave, Hazledene Meads

- East Brighton Park, Wilson Avenue

- Hollingbury Park, north entrance

- Ladies Mile Road, Mackie Avenue junction

- Mackie Ave/Plainfields Avenue, playing field

- Montpelier Crescent

- Preston Park, Preston Drove entrance

- Queens Park, south entrance

- The Level, Union Road,north End

- Wyevale Garden Centre, Warren Road

Hove:

- Brunswick Square, north entrance

- Hove Park, end of Orchard Road

- Hove Museum, rear gardens

- Hove Household Waste Recycling Site, off Old Shoreham Road

- St Ann's Well Gardens, off Nizells Avenue

- Wish Park Recreation Ground, north east corner

- Hangleton Park, Lark Hill

Portslade:

- Easthill Park, Millcross Road entrance

- Victoria Recreation Ground, west car park

Saltdean:

- Saltdean Lido, car park

Woodingdean:

- Central Park

- Happy Valley, car park 

Brighton Household Waste Recycling Centre, off Wilson Avenue, and Hove Household Waste Recycling Centre, off Old Shoreham Road, will be open over the festive period. They will close only on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, and will close at 1pm on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. 

Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, Brighton & Hove City Council's Cabinet Member for Environment, said: "We would like to thank everyone for helping us to recycle 25,000 tonnes of rubbish this year. That's equivalent to 1,678 double decker buses - more than six times the Brighton & Hove Bus Company fleet. 

"Recycling your Christmas tree at one of the collection points around the city will help us to swell that total even further - and ensure the trees do not go to waste."

Under 16s in Brighton & Hove are to get free swimming in a new national scheme being backed by the council. A £124,000 government grant would enable the council to run free sessions for youngsters for two years.

Already the council has announced it will spend £21,000 part-funding free swimming for the over 60s, also backed with a government grant.

Free swimming for youngsters has been made more viable thanks to a further £65,000 grant from the local NHS primary care trust as part of its children’s anti-obesity strategy.

The council will contribute £25,000 to plug a shortfall.