INTEREST in cultivating fruit, vegetables and plants is growing with youngsters at a Horwich primary school.

Children at Horwich Parish Church School have been making the most out of an allotment on nearby Slaters Field, which was set up by the school in 2013 with the help of volunteers and a £5,000 grant.

It is the second growing season that teachers and children have started, with a range of plants being grown including gladioli and butterfly mix flowers, as well as cabbages, raspberries and swedes.

Children of all ages at the school regularly attend the allotment, which is a short walk away from school, to plant seeds and attend to those already planted.

It contains 18 raised beds, and a World War One memorial bed containing poppies.

The allotment is also used for children to search for creepy crawlies, as a visual accompaniment to their lessons.

It is run with the help of children on the school's eco-council, and the fruit and vegetables produced are regularly sold from a pop-up stall in school.

Leonie Magilton, the school's reception teacher, who is overseeing the allotment, said: "The children love it. What they like doing most is building the beds and eating. Growing seems to go a bit by the wayside sometimes."