One of the UK’s largest vegetable growers is creating 50 jobs at a new greenhouse.

Thanet Earth will open its fifth giant plant nursery soon and aims to harvest its first crop of cucumbers in January.

The new 15.6 acre greenhouse will increase total staff at the Birchington-based company to 700 at peak times.

The workers will be supplied by Folkestone-based recruitment agency Red Eagle, which has provided greenhouse staff for the last four years.

Thanet Earth director Arjan de Gier said: “We have stringent quality control procedures in place for our produce and demand a high caliber of staff.

“Red Eagle have been supplying our greenhouse staff for the past four years and were the natural choice.”