Fruit plants that yield an abundant crop can successfully be grown in pots, according to a leading consumer watchdog.

In a Gardening Which? trial, gooseberries and strawberries did particularly well, bearing impressive crops in their first summer.

Raspberries, a fruit that does not have a good reputation for thriving in pots, produced a good harvest, as did the orange, lemon and lime trees.

Fruit that requires specific soil types, for example blueberries, which need free draining acid conditions to thrive, proved to be perfect for potting, Gardening Which? said.

Confined to containers with compost that suits them, plants can be grown regardless of soil type, according to the consumer watchdog.

The researchers also found that growing fruit in pots was a good way of overcoming difficulties such as pest infestation and bird damage, because smaller plants are easier to protect and treat.

Julia Boulton, editor of Gardening Which?, said: "As well as being productive, many fruit trees and bushes make beautiful plants in their own right. Growing them in pots makes good sense if you're short of space.

"Even a humble gooseberry trained as a standard can be every bit as elegant as a much pricier clipped bay tree or box shrub," she added.