Volunteers are being sought to look after a garden in Bath which is a lasting memorial both to the city's blitz victims and to Princess Diana.

Flower beds at the Shaftesbury Road Memorial Gardens in Oldfield Park had been changed twice a year by Bath and North East Somerset Council's parks department to match the seasons.

But the authority is cutting its spending on floral displays as it balances its books and has agreed to planting a permanent bed of roses in the Princess Diana memorial area and a sunken bed in the middle of the garden, which will both be maintained by volunteers to save costs.

A council spokesman said: "The council is currently considering how to maximise the impact of its future level of resources as part of our efforts to maintain pleasant open spaces for local neighbourhoods.

"In Shaftesbury Road Memorial Gardens, we are considering a switch from the existing planting of floral bedding, which is changed twice per year, to a permanent planting of roses.

"The end result would still be very attractive and would continue to enhance the visual surroundings of this green space for the local community."

Barry Cruse, chairman of the city's Bath in Bloom committee, said he was glad they could keep some kind of floral display in the gardens.

However, he said he was disappointed any cuts had to be made at all and has called for volunteers to help look after the roses in a Big Society initiative.

He said: "There was a question mark over the Princess Diana bed and I suggested that as it's the only memorial to her in Bath we should try to form a Friends of the Memorial Gardens and plant roses on the site.

"I am looking for people who are interested to get in touch and we can set up a friends group and maintain the Princess Diana bed."

He added: "I am not happy with the situation but this is the way it's got to be these days.

"We have got to have community groups to offer these services to keep these things going because of the savings being made. This has got to be the way forward."

If you would like to help, contact Mr Cruse on 01225 310095.