A ROYAL engagement and a hung Parliament are among the predictions of a fortune teller who uses asparagus to look into the future.

Asparamancer Jemima Packington, also forecast the demise of Gordon Brown, a British heatwave and Oscars for George Clooney and Helen Mirren in 2010.

Miss Packington, who makes her predictions by throwing spears of asparagus in the air and analysing how they land, said she believed her craft was no different to that of reading tea leaves.

“I have a very good success rate, but because it’s an interpretation you can sometimes be slightly off the mark,” shesaid.

“Vale of Evesham asparagus is not in season at the moment and I refuse to use anything else. I have made my predictions using asparagus sausages which might account for some small anomalies.”

Other predictions include England to go out in the first or second round of the World Cup and Susan Boyle to announce her engagement.

Meanwhile, Evesham’s Asparagus Festival has been entered into the Where Else But England Awards – a celebration of the country’s quirkiest events. To vote for the festival to win, e-mail heartofengland@europe.mccann.com and put Asparagus as the e-mail subject