WORKERS at Fawley oil refinery have helped transform a plot of land at a special needs school into a conservation garden.

They built paths, installed benches, cleared ground, mounted bird boxes and planted various shrubs, flowers and bulbs at Oak Lodge School in Roman Road, Dibden Purlieu.

The conservation garden will now be used as an outside classroom while a horticultural area was also cleared after lack of maintenance work.

The project saw 21 ExxonMobil employees volunteer their manpower as part of the company's "day of caring" scheme.

Deputy head Alan Hazelwood-Smith said: "It was wonderful to see the interaction between the ExxonMobil team and the pupils. The pupils were so thrilled with what was happening and were keen to become involved. We are extremely grateful to all the ExxonMobil staff."

Oak Lodge is a 125-pupil secondary school for children with a range of special educational needs.