John Rogerson, 53, a retired computer network architect, and self confessed "hopeless gardener" surprised even himself when he won a second Preston city allotment prize using things he'd been given for free.

Through Freecycle, an online network where people give and collect unwanted items to "keep good stuff out of landfills," John collected hundreds of items to fuel his allotment needs.

"I was browsing the web and saw this story about how a man in Tuscon set it up and I was intrigued by the whole Freecycle thing," said John, of Victoria Road, Fulwood.

That was February 2006, about the same time as he got his first allotment. Since then the father-of-two who took early retirement, has not stopped giving and collecting Freecycled goods.

John has collected "a bucket of grapes" followed by the some winemaking equipment and is now toasting his success with his first bottle. But, he says, it was more than just getting things for free.

"It's better than seeing stuff thrown away. It's about re-use rather than recycling because re-use is better – you don't have to break it down and reform it."