A GROUP of green-fingered beer enthusiasts have joined forces in Crystal Palace to brew a community beer.

More than 80 residents, have planted hops in their homes in and around Crystal Palace to help brew the Palace Pint - which will be available later in the year.

Inspired by community beer brewing project Brixton Beer, members of the Crystal Palace Transition Town (CPTT) group launched the Palace Pint project earlier this month.

It is intended to bring the community together, while engaging people with locally sourced produce.

Hops have been planted in the Crystal Palace Museum Garden and in the Grape and Grain pub's Tipsy Garden.

And more than 80 people have collected their own hops kit to plant at home.

Towards the end of the year the hops will be harvested and the group expects to be raising glasses to the first pint before Christmas.

Rachel Dethample of the CPTT said: "We are growing fresh hops which aren't often used when making beer in this country because they have to go straight to the brewers on the same day they are picked.

"The harvest won't be great this year, but we sold about 100 kits and should get about 2,500 pints out of it.

"It is quite staggering, you don't use a lot of hops and can get up to 25 pints per plant.

"We have teamed up with local brewers Late Knights in Penge, who will brew the beer and will be holding brewing sessions throughout the year where we can all share knowledge and skills.

"The Palace Pint is a community project.

The hops take a long time to grow and we hope this will be an annual thing.

"It is all about getting local people engaged with the source of their food."

To find out more about visit crystalpalacetransition.org.uk or search Crystal Palace Transition Town on Facebook.