Smaller pumpkins for Halloween after harvest hit by heat

Pumpkin harvesting is well under way at farms across the UK as demand for the fruit to carve into jack-o-lanterns for Halloween is reaching its peak.

Farmers say the summer heatwave severely damaged plants, depriving the vines of water at a key stage in the crop's development.

Barfoots in Romsey, Hampshire, is one of the biggest farms in the UK, with 8,000 acres of vegetable fields on the south coast.

Pumpkin manager Hazel Smith says they have managed to grow enough pumpkins to meet demand, but the fruit is much smaller this year.

A film by Ben Moore