A shortage of Christmas trees will not spread to Essex, growers have pledged.

Cuts in subsidies to Danish farmers have meant fewer trees have been grown, including the nordmann fir. Usually Danish growers export about a million trees to the UK to be sold through garden centres and supermarkets.

This year the figure is closer to 200,000 and Britons were being warned garden centres may sell out of trees early.

But local growers in north Essex have said there are plenty of trees to go around.