IT might be the middle of winter but the mild weather means daffodils are already blooming.

Barry Heap, of the Good Food Business, was shocked to see the flowers on sale at a market in Manchester so he brought some back to sell in the shop.

"I could not believe daffodils grown outside were already on sale before Christmas," he said.

And customers at the shop, in Upperhead Row, Huddersfield, are snapping up the early daffodils.

Barry, from Beaumont Park, said: "In 35 years in the business I have never seen daffodils so early. Of course you can get them at this time - but they are grown in greenhouses.

"It is usually nearer the end of January when we get them.

"People are coming in and asking where we have got them from.

"I always say you sell more daffodils when the sun is out but we sold loads this week when it was pouring with rain."

The first daffodils usually come from Cornwall and then gradually, as the weather gets warmer, they grow further North.

Met Office weather expert Barry Gromett believes the reason for the early flowers is simply Britain's changing climate.

"Britain has been and will continue to experience milder, wetter weather in the winter," he said.

"That does not mean we are going to suddenly become Ibiza but subtle differences will happen and it appears this is one.

"This year is set to be the fifth warmest on record in this country and nine from the last 10 years have been among the warmest as well. Clearly it is getting hotter."

* Colours range from white to yellow, pink, salmon, orange, and red-orange.

* There are at least 25 different species of daffodils and over 13,000 different hybrid varieties.

* The flowers often do well in the wild because deer and rodents do not eat daffodil bulbs.

* Daffodils are members of the narcissus botanical family.