A record-breaking heavyweight squashed all rivals at the annual Bear and Ragged Staff pumpkin show at Michelmersh on Saturday.

The heaviest pumpkin ever grown in the UK was the star of the show.

Ian and Stuart Paton, Club members from Pennington, brought along two pumpkins, which they believed to weigh in excess of 1000lbs each.

There were anxious moments as members watched the biggest of the giant pair being gently winched onto the weighing gantry and lowered onto the scales.

It tipped the scales at 1,124lbs to the delight of the brothers. The smaller one weighed a mere 1,002 lbs.

This was a proud moment for all club members but most of all for former chairman Edgar Porter - now 88 and only surviving member of the group, which set up the original club in the 60s. He said he only wished his old fellow members could see this because they would never have dreamed their club would have come this far from its humble beginnings when they first had a friendly wager to see who could grow the biggest pumpkin .

The brothers now plan to hollow out the two giant vegetables and turn them into boats, which they will sail on the Lymington River later this month.

And next year they say they are going for the world record!

Ian and Stuart also had a notable entry in the vegetable class - a "Long Gourd" which measured 111 inches. The brothers say these are very easy to grow and could be a thing of the future for competitive growing.

This is not to say that the rest of the show entries went unnoticed. There were many colourful decorated entries in the novelty classes.

Green and orange pumpkins of all shapes, sizes and weights; assorted curiously shaped gourds in the vegetable class and a modest marrow.

"The popularity and enjoyment of This Show is made possible by the enthusiastic growers and imaginative talents of those who enter the decorated classes; the stalwart friends who help the committee stage the event and the generosity of the local businesses who donate prizes for the raffle and tombola," said club chairman Phil Hutchins.

The Club makes a donation from show proceeds and this year they were able present a cheque for £200 to the Romsey Young Carers.