FOR the past 17 years Bill Cole has been growing vegetables at his allotment in Capel St Mary.But when the 83-year-old pulled up the last of his carrots recently, he had quite a shock.

Anthony Bond

FOR the past 17 years Bill Cole has been growing vegetables at his allotment in Capel St Mary.

But when the 83-year-old pulled up the last of his carrots recently, he had quite a shock. Instead of the usual slender carrot which wouldn't look out of place in a supermarket, he pulled up this unusual whopper.

“I was taking up the last of the carrots and this was the final one that I got to,” said Mr Cole, who lives in Copdock.

“I could not believe it and said 'oh my God'. I have never seen anything this big before.”

According to Mr Cole, the giant carrot weighs about six-and-a-half pounds and he intends to enjoy every last bit of it.

“I will just cut it up and have it for dinner, although I think I will get several dinners out of it. I imagine it might taste a bit woody.”

And the key to the giant carrot's size? “It's probably because it has some good muck underneath it,” he said.