A Thai scientist has succeeded in producing durian with a mild and inoffensive smell.

Dr Songpol Somsri has been studying the pungent fruit for 30 years and has finally developed a successful hybrid after trials involving cross-breeding some 90 different varieties. Dr Somsri said the new variety smells “as mild as a banana”.

The new variety - Chantaburi No. 1 - is named after Somsri’s home province and is aimed at the European export market. The researcher is continuing his work by mapping durian DNA in a bid to breed a thornless variety.

Thailand is the world’s leading durian producer and grows some 800,000 tonnes a year, worth £45 million. Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines are major markets for, and producers of, the fruit.

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