CHRISTMAS dinners across East Lancashire have been saved after the area averted a sprouts shortage.

High winds and rain have left Britain without its regular supply of the festive favourites.

However, sprout lovers in the North West should not panic as there is no shortage in Lancashire.

It was feared that supermarkets would struggle to get supplies of the drowned vegetable, loved and loathed in equal measures, but Roy McDonald, from The Fruit Bowl Greengrocers, in Haslingden said: "A few people have been in to ask me this but no we have no shortage at all. I asked my supplier this morning and he said there has been no trouble at all and nothing untoward.

"I think Lincolnshire is having all the problems because much of the land is waterlogged."

There has been no shortage either at the The Fruit Bowl in Barnoldswick. Greengrocer Brenda Gifford said: "There seems to be plenty of sprouts about. I was told that in Holland they had had very bad weather and they were buying up all the English sprouts."