A recording of popular Radio 4 show Gardeners’ Question Time in St Keverne on Monday night attracted huge interest from the village.

Around 170 people – much more than had been expected – squeezed into the parish hall to hear the questions put to the panel of horticulture experts.

This was made up of former Gardeners’ World presenters Anne Swithinbank and Toby Buckland with Sunday Telegraph columnist Bunny Guinness.

The panel answered a total of 11 questions put forward by the audience.

Two editions of the programme will be broadcast – the first of which will be broadcast this Friday at 3pm and repeated on Sunday at 2pm, featuring half of the questions.

The rest of the questions will then be heard in a second programme, broadcast in six weeks’ time.

The visit was arranged with the BBC by the St Keverne Gardeners’ Society.

Roger Pearce, recently retired chairman of the society, said: “Everybody involved had a really good time.

“From the BBC’s point of view, they were very grateful to have such a large turnout and for the refreshments that were prepared by volunteers from the society since they had come all the way from London.

“From the audience’s perspective, they were very pleased with the show since the BBC brought a lot of equipment so that everybody in the hall could hear no matter where they were seated and for the very amusing and educational advice given.”