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Keen gardeners are being urged to enter a vulgar vegetable contest - to grow Britain's sauciest root crop.

The edible misfits will include carrots, parsnips, swedes and spuds all turned into naughty shapes by nature.

The competition, organised by Suffolk-based seed giants Van Meuwen, will see a £500 prize going to the winner.

Van Meuwen spokesperson, Graham Ward, said: "So-called wonky or imperfect vegetables have really caught the attention of the public - now supermarkets regularly stock produce that is not symmetrically perfect or blemish-free.

"So we are organising a competition and we hope gardeners will send in photos of their naughty veg - they don't have to have been grown from our seeds - and they don't have to be anatomically correct either."

(Image: Vanmeuwen)

It comes as supermarkets have revealed they have had to start rationing vegetable supplies because supplies in the Mediterranean have been battered by floods , snow and storms.

Morrisons has even imposed a limit of three iceberg lettuces and three heads of broccoli per customer, across each of its 492 UK stores.

Some Tesco shops are also carrying notices capping the number of lettuces to three per person.

While the big grocers ’ online stores are restricting supply by listing some popular vegetables as unavailable.

The shortage began with aubergines and courgettes but has now spread to other vegetables, salad and, potentially, citrus fruit.