A MONSTER pumpkin has proved to be worth at least half its weight in gold after raising around £40 for stroke patients at Williton Hospital.

The giant vegetable, a Halloween favourite, was donated to the hospital's stroke unit by a couple from Sampford Brett.

And canny staff decided that setting a challenge to guess the weight of the larger than life pumpkin could raise some much needed cash towards activities for patients or equipment for the unit.

Nurses had to manhandle the pumpkin onto a bath hoist when the moment of truth on its weight dawned on Tuesday - and it tipped the scales at just over 80 pounds.

The money was raised by charging 50p a shot to guess the weight and the winner was health care assistant Samantha Down, who received a bottle of whisky for her correct calculation.

"People had to make a guess by just looking at the pumpkin - there was no way anyone could pick it up," said a spokesman for the unit. "It's certainly big."

Photo: Steve Guscott