A new coffee is making café customers so full of beans that they are leaving behind their walking sticks and even a wheelchair.

Staff at South Downs Nurseries and Garden Centre in Hassocks have been left wondering if their new brand of beans has been causing miracles after visitors started leaving behind walking sticks and hearing aids.

Branch manager Mark Hillyard joked that the centre could become the new Lourdes after more than 15 walking sticks were left behind at the centre in Brighton Road in Hassocks.

Staff say this far exceeds the normal number of walking sticks left in their lost property section, which usually amounts to one or two throughout the whole year.

The wheelchair left behind was never reclaimed while staff have found two hearing aids in recent weeks.

Staff are jokingly putting the phenomena down to the new coffee that they are selling in the centre’s coffee shop.

At the end of last year the centre took the decision to switch to Barista-style coffee made in store.

The magic beans are supplied by Derbyshire-based Arden Coffee and sourced from various growers in Brazil.

Staff at the centre said it was the first they had heard of the coffee having any healing properties.

Mr Hillyard joked that he had not heard of coffee having such healing powers before.

He said: “This year so far we have had 15 walking sticks handed in and two hearing aids. Usually we would get one or two left in a year .

“Sometimes they do come back for them but not always. It is the most amazing thing.

“It is almost like people are coming in here, having their coffee and then walking out unaided.

“It does seem a bit crazy. How can you leave your hearing aid?”