Borehamwood will be scattered with purple to celebrate the efforts of the Rotary Club to eradicate polio.

Elstree and Borehamwood Rotary Club spent the weekend planting 1,000 crocus bulbs surrounding the Centenary bench in Shenley Road.

The croci will come into bloom around February 23, in time for the Rotary Club’s birthday.

All of the flowers will be purple, in celebration of the mass vaccinations organised by Rotarians and the World Health Organisation to eradicate the childhood disease of polio.

When mass vaccinations are held the children have a little finger dipped in a purple dye so they cannot try to obtain a second dose of the vaccine.

The 30 year project, sponsored by the Bill Gates Foundation, had nearly reached its target of complete eradication from the world.

However recent outbreaks of the disease in Somalia and Syria have caused a setback for the project.