New Forest giant pumpkin breaks British weight record

The green-fingered twins claim their success has been helped by love and care

A giant pumpkin grown in Hampshire has broken the British record for weight.

The monster squash weighed in at 1,504lb (682kg), about 200lb (90kg) short of the world record, and has a circumference of about 17ft (5.18m).

Twins Ian and Stuart Paton, 49, who already held the British record, grew it at their nursery in Lymington in the New Forest, Hampshire.

The official weighing took place at the Pumpkin festival in Netley, Hampshire, on Saturday.

The twins had thought the vegetable was likely to be bigger than it actually turned out to be and had hoped to break the world record.

The world's largest pumpkin was grown in 2009 by Nick and Christy Harpy from Ohio, USA, and weighed 1,725lb (782kg).

By failing to beat the record, the twins missed out on a £10,000 prize, but as a consolation they pocketed £1,000 for the British record.

Specialist lifting equipment had to be used to move the pumpkin to the Jubilee Sailing Trust Pumpkin Festival at the Royal Victoria Country Park.

The brothers said their success was due to "50% genetics and 50% love and care".

The pumpkin had grown about 35lb (15.9kg) per day in weight over six weeks, they said.

The plant's foliage covered 600 sq ft (55.741 sq m).

The twins first entered the British record books after they grew a pumpkin weighing a mammoth 1,457lb (660 kg) in 2009.