Inspired by Prince Charles and her grandmother, a green-fingered schoolgirl from west Suffolk sang to her pumpkin to help it grow.

Polly Hallewell’s pumpkin grew so large – to more than her own weight at a whopping 94lb – she has even scooped a prize.

Polly, 10, a pupil at Beyton Middle School, managed to impress at last weekend’s Tostock Show with her giant vegetable which could double up as a seat for the youngster and was caught by surprise when she was named Young Gardener of the Year.

She said she sang “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” to the growing pumpkin, adding inspiration for the musical technique came from the Prince of Wales and her grandmother Janet, while her gardening skills were nurtured by Lionel Grooves, who works on the allotments near her home.

Polly, who lives in Tostock, said: “Lionel has the allotment and he does a lot of work on it and he’s been teaching me how to plant things like leeks and all the stuff he knows about gardening.

“They taste better than the ones in the shops.”

Her father Richard said Polly, who plays football for Bury Town’s youth division, had an eventful day last weekend as she had to dash off to turn out for Bury Town in their game against Wealdstone and then rush back to make the prize-giving ceremony.

The pumpkin is due to be donated to a local church for its harvest festival.