A RARE type of pea, which was last grown in Bolton, has been saved from the brink of extinction by a mystery resident.

The man, known only as Mr Schofield, handed seeds for the pea, called Table Talk, to the Heritage Seed Library.

He had been growing the variety since the 1940s after being given seeds by a relative in Yorkshire.

His donation means the future of the rare pea has been safeguarded for generations to come.

The Heritage Seed Library is run by Garden Organic, an organisation which fears that hundreds of traditional vegetable varieties are facing extinction because of commercial pressures and European Union regulations, which ban the sale of seeds unless the variety is registered on national or EU lists.

Bob Sherman, a Garden Organic director, said: "Multiple varieties of plants and vegetables are imperative to protecting the food security of the nation, both now and in the future.

"In the simplest terms, multiple varieties offer safety in numbers.

"As the climate changes and new pests and diseases are able to survive, we need a diverse range of plants in case one of our main crops is affected," said Mr Sherman.

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