A FRIENDLY gorilla – with a social conscience – will be handing out free bananas to shoppers at Southampton’s Bargate tomorrow.

It will be part of the world’s biggest banana event, organised by the Fairtrade Foundation.

The Fairtrade market will also feature 12 stalls offering all manner of delights from organic cotton to Palestinian olive oil. There will also be food and live music.

The event will be opened at 10am by sheriff Liz Mizon and run until 4.30pm.

Bernard Carré, vice-chairman of Southampton Fair Trade Group, said: “Buying fairly traded goods is doubly important, even in an economic downturn. It gives producers a fair price for their work and increases their control over their lives.”