A spokeswoman for the BBC said: “Gardeners' World will be filming at the Thornton allotment site in the near future, and will be featured on the programme. The transmission date for this item is yet to be confirmed.

“This allotment site has been chosen, along with other sites across the country, as part of Joe Swift's strand on the programme, in which he enthuses the nation to 'Dig In' and grow their own veg, and also explores some of the issues and challenges facing allotment sites, and allotment growers nationwide.”

Mr Ransom has long campaigned for some intervention from the local authority to improve security at Thornton. He says he is pleased that the BBC chose their site for the programme, despite its obvious problems .

Mr Ransom said: “The BBC have been looking for sites that have been under-invested in by the local authority. They said they will be filming with us before going into Birkenhead and talking to people in the town centre.”

He said he has been contacting the council regularly to highlight the plight of Thornton allotments.

Within Wirral, there are 41 sites administered by the council, containing nearly 1,700 plots.

A council spokesman said: “Additional funding was requested to upgrade security at allotment sites throughout Wirral in March of last year.

“This funding, in the amount of £100,000 per year for a period of three years, was considered fully by the council but, however, it was not approved. The Allotment Development Officer has met with Mr Ransom and will be working with him to try and achieve improved security for the site.”