A WOMAN who grows her own fruit and veg on an allotment has been honoured by Thurrock Council.

Diane Bortone, 59, of Mill Road, Aveley, was awarded a certificate by the council for the best plot on the Aveley allotment site.

Points were awarded for the variety of fruit and vegetables, tidiness of the plot and pathways, as well as the conservation of rain water and natural resources.

The mum-of-four has been working on the site for just over 26 years.

She said: "I am completely self-sufficient with vegetables and bush fruit, which I grow organically.

"I grow potatoes, artichokes, five varieties of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, aubergines, French beans and runner beans."