FOR years he has tried and failed to grow pumpkins for his grandchildren to use at Hallowe’en.

Green-fingered grandfather Glyn Black has planted dozens of the seasonal vegetables at his Andover allotment only to be left disappointed when they fail to measure up.

But that won’t be the case the year after he grew four whoppers – one of which measures in at a gigantic 215cm in diameter.

Glyn, who retired from working as a premises supervisor at Andover College in 2013, has had an allotment at the Vigo Road site for nearly 40 years.

But the 66-year-old admits he has been left amazed by the size of the pumpkins, the largest of which has been named Cheeks by his granddaughters and is growing on top of a net frame on his plot.

Glyn, of Barcelona Close, who fed the giant plants a mixture of stinging nettles and water, said: “It is just amazing. I have never seen them grow on top of anything in my life.

“I have no idea how I am going to get this down, my son is over 6ft tall and even he can’t lift it!”

Glyn, who has been married to wife Christine for 37 years, says he now has his sights set on breaking the world record for biggest pumpkin.

This year’s harvest is dwarfed, though, by the 2,032lb monster grown by Californians Tim and Susan Mathison this time last year.