World Briefs

A giant pumpkin could be a world-beater when it is weighed at the weekend.

The vegetable, which is the size of a small car, has already smashed the British and European records but could get the world title if it continues piling on the pounds.

The pumpkin is presently putting on two stone in weight each day and is now weighing in at about 1,652lb as it grows in Lymington, Hampshire.

This Saturday’s official weigh-in will tell twin brothers Ian and Stuart Paton, 49, who have reared it, whether it is the biggest of all time.

At the moment it has a 17ft waist and is housed at the Pinetops Nursery, which the twins run.

The current world record weight is 1,725lb. (PA)

Artwork theft goes unnoticed

A Swedish museum only learned of the theft of three of its works of art, including a valuable Edvard Munch painting, after they were discovered by police during a raid, media reported yesterday.

The Malmoe Art Museum in Sweden had not reported the three recovered pieces stolen and had no idea they were missing, the bewildered head of the institution said.

Police found the Munch painting and two works by Swedish artists Gustaf Rydberg and Paer Siegaard during a raid at an apartment in Landskrona on Wednesday.

Kvaellsposten said the museum’s only artwork by Norwegian master Edvard Munch, “Two Friends”, was valued at approximately 10 million kronor (€1 million) and the Rydberg and Siegaard pieces were worth about 200,000 kronor each. (AFP)

Dirty bush

Police warned a gardener who trimmed a bush into the shape of a man’s genitals that he could be committing a public order offence.

Officers told computer software engineer Ian Ashmeade, 53, they had received a complaint about the shape of the bush outside his home in Haddenham, Cambridgeshire, and would consider taking action. Mr Ashmeade has re-cut the bush into the shape of a peashooter. (PA)

Tax break cut back for church repairs

The UK government will no longer provide tax relief to churches for repairs to clocks, pews, bells and organs, it was announced yesterday.

Culture Minister John Penrose said Vat on repairs to fixtures and fittings could no longer be claimed back by places of worship, due to Government efficiency savings.

Mr Penrose said the scheme would now exclude clocks, bells, organs, pews and professional services such as architects’ fees. (PA)

‘Helping’ hand

A woman lost all her possessions after her flatmate loaded everything she owns into the wrong car which then drove off.

Faye Pounder, 25, was moving house when her flatmate Paul Robbins offered to load her bags into her white Citroen Xsara Picasso. But he mistakenly opened the boot of an identical silver-coloured Xsara Picasso, which was parked outside their flat in Bristol, and left unlocked.

He loaded more than £3,000 worth of clothes, shoes, documents, camera equipment and personal possessions into the car. (PA)

Lennon’s prints taken by FBI

The FBI has seized an official police set of John Lennon’s fingerprints from a Manhattan memorabilia shop.

Agents removed the item yesterday from the store, called Gotta Have It!

The signed fingerprint card was made at a police station on May 8, 1976. It bears the name John Winston Ono Lennon. At the time, Lennon was applying for citizenship.

A spokesman said the FBI was investigating how the item “came to be up for auction.”

Store owner Peter Siege, said Homeland Security also had inquired about the card.

He said an unidentified concert promoter bought it at a Beatles convention about two decades ago. (PA)

Prisoners strike

A prison watchdog group in Venezuela said thousands of inmates in seven prisons are on a hunger strike demanding improved conditions.

Humberto Prado of the Venezuelan Prisons Observatory said the hunger strike was organised by inmates in response to clashes last week in Tocoron prison that officials said left 16 dead and 35 wounded.

Mr Prado told reporters that many inmates began the protest in solidarity with prisoners in Tocoron and to press for various demands. (PA)