AN OPEN gardens event raised more than £200 for Mitcheldean Heartbeat.

Handfuls of people wandered around various gardens in and around the village to see the locals' best kept secret.

There were gardens bursting with colour from an array of different plants and flowers and others which were kept to a minimum with simple flower beds including those planted by Mitcheldean community volunteers.

Also among the range of gardens was that of event organiser Colin Simmonds, who lives at Plump Hill. He said: "The event raised money for a very good cause. The Mitcheldean Heartbeat is trying to raise £5,000 in order to purchase three defibrillators for the village.

"We had plant sales, cream teas and a bric-a-brac. We also had a guess how many sweets are in a jar competition for the children. A wonderful day was had by all."