A colossal pumpkin, weighing 203 pounds, claimed first place at Basingstoke Mencap's annual competition.

The contest, held on October 26 at the charity's GreenFingers project at the Elizabeth Road Allotments, seeks out the year's largest squashes.

The weighing of the pumpkinsThe weighing of the pumpkins

Shaun Taylor's pumpkin weighed 203 pounds.

Chris Glasher secured second place with a 191-pound squash, while Michael Phelps' 138.5-pound pumpkin earned third place.

Basingstoke Mencap aims to "make a real difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities in our community".

The contest seeks out the year's largest squashesThe contest seeks out the year's largest squashes (Image: supplied)

Noelia Rico Cordero, deputy manager at GreenFingers, said: "We're thrilled with the incredible turnout and fantastic pumpkins at this year's competition.

"Our Greenfingers project continues to showcase the amazing talents of our members while bringing the community together for a wonderful cause."

As the gardening season draws to a close, the charity is gearing up for its Christmas Fair on December 7 at the Elizabeth Road allotments site.

Mencap Pumpkins GroupMencap Pumpkins Group (Image: supplied)

On offer will be a range of handcrafted festive items made by Mencap's users and volunteers, including wooden snowmen and reindeer decorations, crocheted Christmas items, wreaths, and table decorations.

All the profits will go to support Basingstoke Mencap's initiatives.