'Blue' Peter creates own garden

Peter Duncan has created his own garden at the Pleasance in Edinburgh

A former Blue Peter presenter has set up his own version of the show's famous garden in the courtyard of an Edinburgh Fringe venue.

The BBC has denied reports the garden could become "virtual" when production of the long-running show moves to Salford in the next couple of years.

Peter Duncan, who presented the show for seven years in the 80s, said he had a "great affection" for the garden.

He has created his version in the courtyard of The Pleasance.

The Blue Peter garden, which was devised to introduce children to nature, has been sited inside the BBC's Television Centre in west London since 1974.

A statement from the BBC said there were no plans to have a virtual garden.

It said: "The plan is to move the real Blue Peter garden to Mediacity UK."

Petra's statue

Peter Duncan, 55, who is performing in a show at the Fringe called Daft and Dangerous, said he had decided to recreate the garden when he had heard of its possible demise.

He said: "I feel very affectionate towards it so I have done my own version.

"It has got the raised Italian sunken garden. It's got goldfish and a little waterfall.

"It's also got the pet's graveyard, George the tortoise and Petra's statue."

The presenter, who also fronted Duncan Dares, said his Fringe debut featured many elements of his career.

It even includes the monster from the film 1980 Flash Gordon in which Duncan had a small part.

"People still shout out my line 'spare me the madness' all these years later," he said.