GARDEN centre staff are usually more used to growing their greens than their facial hair but have thrown all their efforts behind Movember.

Eight men at St Peter’s Garden Centre in Norton, near Worcester, took up the gauntlet to let it grow in aid of the battle to fight prostate and testicular cancer.

Their efforts have raised almost £1,300 in collections and pledges since they started on November 1.

Ian Griffiths, centre manager, said staff had encouraged customers to quiz them about what they were doing, including wearing badges prompting punters to “ask me about my ‘tache.”

“We’ve put up banners, and posters and we’ve got collection boxes around so there’s plenty of information for the customers as to why we’re doing this,” he said.

“I’ve had a couple of customers make reference to my ‘big-trucker top lip’ and that’s good because we want people to know why we’re doing it.”

Having spent so much time fostering his new growth, will Mr Griffiths be keeping the hair? “No, absolutely not, my wife hates it – she doesn’t kiss me anymore,” he said.

“Although it hasn’t itched thankfully, although two of the blokes said they’ve had itchy top lips.”

Movember runs at the garden centre and nationally for the rest of the month of November, with more about the campaign available at http://uk.movember.com