Brown Fig

This years fruit will rot and fall off anyway if it hasn't had time or enough warmth to ripen. If the bush is very big it's easier to sweep up the fallen fruit. If not very big then you could pick it off when it looks as though there's no hope of ripening. It's not usually a good idea to let rotten and mouldy fruit hang about because of disease.

Agreed, if it hasn't ripened this year it will not develop further next year, so if you have the time take it off and just leave the tiny figs at the top of the shoots.

The trouble is figs produce two crops a year under ideal conditions in the Med but there is not the warmth or sunshine to develop the second crop outdoors in the UK.

Yes, remove the bigger figs as they will not ripen - leave the little finger-nail sized ones that are just forming, and if the weather is kind to us next year they are the ones that will ripen for your breakfast