A COFFEE shop has donated a bag of beans to green-fingered residents at an eco-friendly allotment to deter creepy crawleys from ruining their produce.

The Dovercourt Community Allotment, which is run by Community Voluntary Services Tendring and Harwich Town Council, opened in early 2020.

It came about thanks to a donation of £1,000 from the Grassroots charity and has since provided otherwise isolated residents with a lifeline and social activity.

The scheme sees budding gardeners and farmers plant and harvest fresh produce and maintain the allotments while like-minded people.

Costa Coffee’s Harwich branch has now handed over a huge bag of coffee beans to residents using the allotment to fertilise the soil.

A spokesman for Community Voluntary Services Tendring said: “A big thank you to Costa Coffee in Harwich.

“They are donating their coffee grounds to the Dovercourt Community Allotment.

“The group are trying various eco-friendly methods on site. They hope the coffee grounds will fertilise the soil and keep the slugs and snails away.”

To find out more about how you can get involved with the Dovercourt Community Allotment visit facebook.com/CVSTendring.