CHRIS Finney, whose heroism during the Iraq war saw him awarded the highest honour for bravery, has been selected to have a complete garden makeover by ITV's Love Your Garden team, led by Alan Titchmarsh.

Chris and his wife Liz run the Goonhavern Garden Centre near Perranporth, but are so busy helping other horticulturalists that they hadn't been able to create a proper garden of their own. This all changed when they met the team behind Love Your Garden, which helps people create their dream outdoor spaces.

Liz put her husband forward to take part in the show and several weeks later the pair were surprised by the TV crew, who arrived in Goonhavern eager to transform Chris's garden at home into a beautiful, relaxing space after reading his story, described as one of "exceptional courage and selfless determination."

Chris joined the Army in 2000 and was on deployment in Iraq in 2003 when the armoured vehicle he was driving came under friendly fire - an American ground attack aircraft mistakenly shot at the convoy, which burst into flames.

Chris escaped from his burning vehicle, but returned to it when he realised that his gunner was trapped in the turret and succeeded in rescuing him.

He returned a second and third time, despite being hit by the returning aircraft in the back and legs, rescuing his friends and comrades in a courageous act that the army described as "out of all proportion to his age and experience."

Later that year he was awarded the George Cross — the highest award for "acts of conspicuous gallantry performed when not in the face of the enemy," becoming the youngest serviceman in the British Armed Forces to receive that honour.

Having left the army, Chris now lives a much quieter life in Goonhavern with Liz and their daughters. It was here that the Love Your Garden team wanted to create a special sanctuary for the family. Within three days the Finney's garden at home had been transformed; however presenter Alan Titchmarsh also found time to visit Chris at work and helped serve star-struck customers at Goonhavern Garden Centre.

The Finneys have been tight-lipped over the result of the makeover. "Our new garden is a secret until the big reveal at the end of the show, I can't give anything away," said Liz. "Since the transformation we have used the garden constantly, the girls play there after school every day now rather than watching TV, and we have enjoyed barbeques and just spending time outside surrounded by colourful plants and flowers - it's amazing, we absolutely love it."

The episode will be aired on ITV 1 next Tuesday, July 7 at 8pm.