LIKE them or loath them Brussels sprouts are permanently rooted next to the turkey on our Christmas dinner plates.

Millions of sprouts will be rolling out of kitchens as the nation sits down to the biggest feast of the year.

Children may turn up their noses when they are planted on their plates. But granny is right - Brussels are good for you. They are an excellent source of vitamin C.

At Eastleigh they have obviously been heeding granny's advice.

Shoppers can't get enough of them and the town could be heading for a Christmas number one in the national Brussels sprouts charts. A survey by Asda has put Eastleigh in third place in its national top ten of sprout eating towns.

Its store in Bournemouth Road, Chandler's Ford, has been selling 62,317 sprouts a week. The top slot was taken by the Longwell Green store near Bristol, with 80,398.

Staff at the Chandler's Ford were surprised but delighted that they were in the top three.

Events co-ordinator Lesley Mead said: "It would be lovely to be number one at Christmas."

She added: "I love sprouts but I only eat them at Christmas."

There was a mixed reaction from young members of store staff.

Holly Alexander, 19, of Bishopstoke, said: "I like Brussel sprouts. They are just nice."

But Gemma Burns, 18, of Chandler's Ford, said: "They are not my favourite. I do not really like them. But I will have one or two with my Christmas dinner. That is because it is Christmas."

There is no danger of the Bournemouth Road store running out of sprouts as the yuletide shopping spree reaches boiling point.

An extra 43,622 sprouts will be filling shelves to make sure those Christmas plates remain green.

TOP TEN SPROUT TOWNS:

1. Longwell Green, near Bristol

2. Norwich

3. Eastleigh

4. Havant

5. West Bridgford

6. Wakefield

7. Taunton

8. Minworth

9. Derby

10. Gloucester