Ilkley-born gardening guru Alan Titchmarsh is backing a call by the Royal Horticultural Society for schools to join its Get Your Grown-ups Growing project in October.

It forms part of the RHS’ Campaign for School Gardening.

Mr Titchmarsh said: “School was never my favourite place and my interests lay outside the classroom, often in the allotment with my grandfather.

"But today it’s a very different world. The fact that schools have really cottoned onto the benefits of gardening with their pupils is fantastic.”

To register schools must sign up to the campaign by logging on to rhs.org.uk/schoolgardening.