Britain's richest man has turned to a Burley-in-Wharfedale eco business to help maintain the gardens of his stately home in Cheshire.

Strulch, developed by Leeds university academic Geoff Whiteley and his wife Jackie, pictured above, is a revolutionary type of mulch made from shredded straw and treated with iron minerals. It can be used for weed control and water retention in herbaceous borders, raised beds and fruit and vegetable plots.

It is being used on the Duke of Westminster's Grosvenor Estate Gardens at Belgrave.

Head gardener Les Armstrong said: "Strulch is a very good mulching

product. We have been using it around our fruit trees, including peaches and grapes, and around the flower beds and it has done excellent service.

"It is very good for retaining moisture in the ground and it has been great for keeping weeds down - in fact we've had no weeds coming through since we put it down. The benefits of Strulch are extensive and its environmentally-friendly."

Mrs Whiteley said: "Given the interest shown by the Eden Project and other professional gardeners, we can only be optimistic about the future for Strulch. It has received nothing but praise and after witnessing Geoff's dedication in developing Strulch I have every confidence in the product and our new business. The key now is to raise awareness of Strulch."