A MONK is appealing for people to take their surplus apple crops to an abbey, to be pressed and turned into juice.

Father Rainer Verborg, of Ampleforth Abbey, North Yorkshire, says that many apples grown in gardens and orchards are wasted. Under his plan, people can take along ten kilo bags of apples to be made into four bottles of juice, for sale at 80p a bottle.

Fr Rainer said: "It's such a shame for the apples to be thrown away."

He has set up a press in the abbey farm's old dairy, where apples can be taken between 2pm and 4pm, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

"They can be cookers or eating apples, and can be fallen, but should not show signs of any decay," said Fr Rainer.

"People probably won't get their particular apples back in juice form, but they will get the equivalent in bottles"