A Somerset cider maker has almost completed adding hundreds of new solar panels on the roof of its distribution warehouse in Sandford.

The Thatchers Cider Myrtle Farm warehouse will now be home to 1862 new panels which is hoped will save up to 301 of carbon tonnes a year and generate 1064Mwh of electricity.

It will be stored on the roof of the cider makers new warehouse, dubbed The Hive.

Eleanor Thatcher said: "The sun helps us in so many ways – our apple trees need it to produce luscious apples for cider making, and now the more sun we have, the more green energy we’re able to produce ourselves for our cider making.

"Producing green energy has become an integral part of our day-to-day life here at Myrtle Farm. We have a biomass boiler that uses wood chippings from our orchards, and apple waste left over from our cider making process goes for anaerobic digestion – although we do save some for cattle feed too.

"With the new installation we now have over 3,000 panels here at Myrtle Farm."