Gardener’s prize-winning veg that went down a bomb
He bought 55lb of fertiliser... and got a visit from the terror police!
As An award-winning vegetable grower, John Handrahan-Cook will go to any length to produce the perfect crops.
But an online purchase of fertiliser and pipes for his super- sized onions, runner beans and radishes produced unexpected results – a visit to his semidetached house by police.
The 47-year- old’s eBay order of a 55lb sack of explosive calcium nitrate fertiliser and growing tubes – together with more fertiliser, screws and plastic sheeting to build an onion house – was flagged to police as potential terrorist activity.
Two uniformed officers arrived at the delivery driver’s house unannounced on Monday and searched every room.
‘They told me it was because I had ordered a lot of fertiliser’, Mr Handrahan-Cook said yesterday.
‘I started to think about what I had ordered – the pipes, the fertiliser, the screws, the plastic – and realised it was basically what you need for a bomb.
‘eBay have to report any large sales of calcium nitrate and they said that was flagged with the anti-terror police.’ no further action was taken after the grower revealed the chemicals were for his giant runner beans while the pipes were to grow huge carrots, parsnips and radishes.
He also showed the officers his supersized marrows and onions and told them about his village show certificates.
Mr Handrahan-Cook, of Meden Vale, nottinghamshire, believes police thought he may have been making a pipe bomb, adding: ‘I buy the fertiliser in bulk to get the price down. The officers seemed quite satisfied when I gave them the tour of the veg patches and was able to prove I was growing giant veg not making bombs.
‘It’s a joke among the giant veg-growing community that we might get a knock on the door from the boys in blue over the amount of fertiliser we buy.
‘We joke that they would think we were making bombs – or growing cannabis. But this is the first time I’ve heard it happen.’
Mr Handrahan-Cook, a stepfather of two, has been growing vegetables since he was four years old, and got into growing super-sized vegetables about five years ago.
He has three patches at local allotments, where he is a committee member, as well as a 20ft polytunnel, grow tent and two greenhouses in his garden.
In september he took first place at a show for his 70lb marrow and 29in runner beans, and won second prize for his onions. He also grows giant varieties of beetroot, marrows, celery and potatoes. To help him boost the size of his giant veg he bought a whole host of equipment – including growing lights – from eBay in April, september and October, apparently raising red flags with eBay. Mr Handrahan-Cook, who lives with his partner, said he was impressed that the PC and police community support officer who visited him had taken his purchases so seriously.
‘I did ask him for a photo with my giant onions, but he said not while he was on duty sadly,’ he added.
nottinghamshire Police said: ‘We have a duty to act on information we receive and visited a property in Meden Vale, nottinghamshire, to establish whether there was anything to be concerned about.
‘We have specialist teams who are constantly gathering and reviewing intelligence and acting where necessary.’ eBay said it works closely with the authorities.
‘A knock on the door from the boys in blue’