With Halloween around the corner, farmers from Dorset and New Forest have been busy growing two of the largest pumpkins in the country .
At Worgret Manor Farm near Wareham, father and son team Frank and Mark Baggs have managed to grow a 95-stone giant pumpkin .
Not to be outdone, twins Ian and Stuart Payton, from Lymington, have produced a 104-stone monster that has become a contender for the world heavyweight crown.
The Payton’s claim their effort is the ninth biggest in the world to be grown this year. “We grew it in a greenhouse – the door was just about big enough to get it out,” said Ian.
A forklift had to be used to carry the 1,457lb vegetable from its trailer to the annual Pumpkin Festival at Netley’s Royal Victoria Country Park, where it won Ian and Stuart the UK record for the heaviest pumpkin for the fourth time.
Frank and Mark Baggs’ 610kg pumpkin will be display at Holme for Gardens, in West Holme, Wareham, until Halloween.
“Our aim was to grow a 1,000-pounder. We had three plants in and that was the best one,” said Frank.