Giant pumpkin heads to show

Despite a dry summer and health issues, a world record holding giant vegetable grower believes he is still set to break his previous record for Staffordshire's biggest pumpkin.

Derek Hulme, from Stoke-on-Trent, has an allotment at Proctors Nursery and said without their support and access to their water supply, he would have been out of the running this year.

The 65-year-old is taking his huge pumpkin - which he estimates already weighs more than 500lb (226kg) - to the Canna UK National Giant Vegetables Championship at the Malvern Autumn Show later this month.