A school’s vegetable plot is the latest victim to fall foul of a “killer compost” that is continuing to wipe out crops across the Black Country.

Pupils from Old Park Primary School in Wednesbury have been tending to fruit and vegetables for eight years only for them to be destroyed by manure contaminated with a new crop-killing herbicide. The plot is one of several at the Black Horse Allotments in Wednesbury to have fallen victim, following a series of reports from worried gardeners all over the region.

John Shobbrook, chairman of the Sandwell Allotments Council, said allotment bosses would now be making insurance claims of thousands of pounds and they feared the plots which had been affected could be out of action for up to two years.

“Wherever the manure has been put the damage is quite extensive,” he said.

“You would lose the whole section of crops that you have planted if the manure went on. We are hoping to claim on the farmer’s insurance. We have lost rent on the allotments for a year now and maybe two, as well as whole crops of organic vegetables so that’s about £1,000 to £1,500 for each plot affected.” The problems stem from a strong batch of weed killer, which was introduced for farmers last year.

The herbicide is then ingested by cows eating grass and works its way into manure, which is then sold on to allotments around the country.

Batches of crops have also been wrecked at Barnett Lane allotments in Kingswinford, as well as other plots in Walsall and Wednesbury.

Black Country MPs including Dudley South MP Ian Pearson and West Bromwich East member Tom Watson have backed calls for more investigation into the growing problem.