Allotments in the borough are becoming hot property, as Croydon Council reveals it has a 12-month waiting list for new applications.

With the planet warming and people steering more towards organic produce, residents are going back to the age-old past-time of keeping an allotment.

Once they had a reputation for being for old men thanks to television personalities such as Arthur Fowler and Victor Meldrew, but a new, younger breed has started to tend them.

The world's environmental crisis has now made it trendy to own an allotment, with celebrities such as Jamie Oliver claiming to own one.

A spokesman for Croydon Council said: "In recent years, there has been increased interest in allotment gardening, possibly due to the move towards more eco-friendly gardening and the desire for people to grow their own food.

"The waiting list for council allotments is currently between six and 12 months."

The council has identified that there is a need for more allotment land and is planning to seek out potential land which can be turned into allotments to increase the amount of plots available.

The plight of those wishing to acquire an allotment was brought to the attention of politicians last week by Croydon Central MP Andrew Pelling.

To discover more about allotments in the borough, email parks@croydon.gov.uk.