A MAN living in Fife has astounded experts by growing more than 60 bananas in his conservatory.

John Beaton, 82, was given a banana plant as a present three years ago. He sat it in a corner of his conservatory in North Queensferry and was amazed when it started to grow.

Now eight feet tall, Mr Beaton's tree has sprouted dozens of bananas which he has shared with neighbours.

The retired teacher, who describes himself as "never much of a gardener", said yesterday: "It was given to me as a joke by my son-in-law. It was a tiny plant and we never thought for a moment it would produce bananas in Scotland.

"I put it in the conservatory and apart from feeding it and watering it occasionally I didn't think much of it. I could not believe my eyes when a little banana started to form a few weeks ago.

"Then another appeared, and another. Before I knew it we had more than 60 of them. I had my own mini banana plantation. The most exotic things I've grown before have been potatoes and raspberries."

Mr Beaton, from Post Office Lane, North Queensferry, added: "I suppose my conservatory is perfect in a way. There is always plenty of sunlight during the summer and it is very warm. Whenever my friends come round they have left with a bunch of bananas each.

"I have eaten so many of my bananas over the past month I'm actually starting to get a bit sick of them."

Gardening expert Alex Macdonald, of Dobbies in Dalgety Bay, said: "It's almost unheard of for anyone to grow bananas in a Scottish home. The only chance of success is to ensure that the tree grows no taller than 10 feet.

"The temperature must be kept at a constant 19 degrees and in direct sunshine or it won't bear any fruit. If you meet these very exacting conditions, which is very difficult, it is theoretically possible. It is amazing he managed it without even trying."