Sutton Council is asking for help to identify 60 new spaces across the borough that can be turned into vegetable plots.

The council has committed to finding the spaces as part of the Mayor of London's Capital Growth plan, which aims to grow food on 2,012 patches of land by 2012.

Councils, schools, hospitals and housing estates are being asked to to look for derelict or underused land that could be used as a food growing space to boost the amount of locally-grown food.

Councillor Colin Hall, executive member for environment and climate change, said: “It will help people understand where their fruit and veg comes from and cut the congestion and carbon emissions associated with the transportation of food from miles away.”

To be classified as a new food growing space the area has to benefit more than five people and be over five square metres.

For more information about Capital Growth, contact Sutton Council’s biodiversity manager Hendryk Jurk at hendryk.jurk@sutton.gov.uk.