Pumpkin that weighs as much as four baby elephants donated to feed homeless

A pair of kind-hearted gardeners who grew a giant pumpkin that weighs as much as four baby elephants have donated the jumbo vegetable to feed the homeless and vulnerable.

The 58.5 stone (372kg) pumpkin will be able to feed almost 1,000 people when it is turned into soup.

The pumpkin is so large that it had to be transported from Ray and Sarah Armstrong's home in South Clifton, Nottingham, to the city's Lenton Centre by horsebox and forklift truck.

The jumbo vegetable, which "took over the lives" of the couple, won second place at the Royal Horticultural Society's giant pumpkin competition in Westminster, but sadly lost out to a 90 stone (570kg) one.

Mr Armstrong, 50, a textile's business owner, said: "We've spent the last six months desperately trying to keep it alive so I think it's going to be a bit of a sad moment when we cut into it."

The flesh of the pumpkin is over 40cm thick (15in) and will be made into soup, while the seeds will be sold off for £5 each, with all the money going to charity.

Mr Armstrong continued: "When we cut the lid off, the seed crevice will look like something out of Narnia.

"We're hoping after we scoop it out it will hold until Halloween, but these things really are very hard to keep alive."

The couple bought the seed for the prize-winning pumpkin for £35 from the US where "they really take these things seriously", Mr Armstrong explained, adding: "They have a genealogy and certain lineages that are more sought after.

"The Royal Horticultural Society bought one seed for £1,250 which grew to be 1,200kg - but that was the world record."

He continued that while growing the pumpkin was gaining more than three stone (20kg) per day in weight, but sadly it had only reached half its potential size.