A green-fingered enthusiast has created a new variety of apple.

Veteran gardener Doug Stribling, 87, has been planting, cutting, pruning and digging for most of his life. However, this summer has been his gardening highlight after he successfully grew a new species of apple in his garden in Marlow Road, Southwick.

He said: “Anything produced from a seed is a new species because you don’t know what it has been pollinated with.

“I planted seeds from a Queen Cox apple a few years ago and they grew into tiny apple trees.

This year, three little apples grew on one of the trees. I couldn’t believe it.”

Mr Stribling, a former ice-cream van owner, has tried one of the apples which he described as “delightful”.

He said: “It is tangy but also sweeter than a Cox. I’m waiting for the other two to get bigger.”

Mr Stribling describes his garden as his pride and joy. As well as apple trees he has plum trees, a walnut tree, strawberry plants and various flowers.

Experts will visit Mr Stribling’s garden to confirm the new variety.