A BUILDER from Ramsey has grown a bumper crop of bananas in his back garden – thanks to the mild and wet summer. Richard Cragg, of Slade Close, was given the banana plant seven years ago by a customer who had a tropical garden. Mr Cragg has four bunches o

A BUILDER from Ramsey has grown a bumper crop of bananas in his back garden - thanks to the mild and wet summer.

Richard Cragg, of Slade Close, was given the banana plant seven years ago by a customer who had a tropical garden.

Mr Cragg has four bunches of bananas - known as hands - growing, with a total of 48 bananas.

The fruits are currently green but Mr Cragg hopes the bananas will continue to grow and ripen in the warm weather.

Mr Cragg said: "I did some work restoring a burned out bungalow in Peterborough and the owner offered me the banana plant as a present.

"I never expected that I would be able to grow the fruit but over time it became clear that bananas were developing."

Now the plant has flowered, it will die, (banana trees only last for one crop - new plants usually spring up round the base of the old one) but Mr Cragg says he intends to plant new seedlings as he aims to repeat the feat.

Mr Cragg added: "I am planning to wait until the bunches grow a bit more then cut them down to allow them to fully ripen.

"I have never grown bananas before so I would welcome any advice that Hunts Post readers may be able to offer me."

A spokesman for the Royal Horticultural Society said: "It is not unknown for bananas to grow in the United Kingdom, but it normally happens in the south or south west of England.

"The warm, humid summer this year seems to have aided the growth of bananas and we congratulate Mr Cragg on his achievement."

INFORMATION: Anyone with any advice on growing bananas for Mr Cragg can contact the news desk on 01480 411481 or email news@huntspost.co.uk