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A 70-year-old gardening enthusiast had a giant victory when he broke a record for the world’s biggest leeks.

North Broomhill pensioner Geoff Moscrop produced a record-breaking three pot leek measuring 572 cubic inches - 40 inches bigger than the previous record. The previous record was held for twelve years.

Geoff’s prize-winning leeks were exhibited at the John Smith World Leek and Onion Show at the weekend at the Sports Social Club in Blyth.

The show was open to growers of all levels from professionals to amateurs. On display were freshly dug onions and three pot leeks - the category in which Geoff came out on top.

The record breaker was produced from a new strain of leek and was planted on 25 September last year. The gardener then carefully nurtured his product for almost a year before it was taken to the club to be judged.

Geoff, who has been growing leeks since 1982, put his success down to a “gut feeling” for how much the new strain needs to be watered each week.

He added that this is where competing gardeners can fall down.

He said: “There are a lot of people who grow this leek. Everybody is trying to grow it, but they can not do it.

“You just have to calculate how much water they need - you just have a gut feeling.”

Geoff said that the prize vegetable needed to be watered every three days and checked for insects and slugs. It even needed attention from others when the 70-year-old went on holiday.

Despite his success, growing giant leeks is just a hobby for Geoff, which started after he entered retirement. However, it is not the first time he has won such huge accolades for his produce.

The retired builder also broke the world record for the world’s biggest single leek last year and has been winning awards for more than two decades.

The pensioner said: “Once you get started it gets addictive. I’m 70 but I’ll keep growing them.”

The rules of growing a giant, record breaking three pot leek

Geoff’s prize-winning vegetables broke the record for the world’s biggest three pot leek.

The giant vegetables can either be grown as single leeks or pot leeks.

Each competition will specify what type of leek gardening enthusiasts should enter.

At Blyth’s world championships, growers were asked to enter one set of three pot leeks - the most prestigious category in the giant leek growing community.

Geoff had already broken records for his two pot leeks and single leeks.

He won this time by producing three leeks whose separate measurements were each added together to prove he had grown the biggest three pot leek to date,

But though the coveted prize was for the world’s biggest leek, the rules of the competition state that the vegetable must not exceed six inches when measured from its base to its button, which is where the leaves join the vegetable.

Judges were also looking at the condition and appearance of the leeks.

According to the European Giant Vegetable Growing Association, “the entire plant must be clean, dry and free of foreign matter. It must also be in sound condition.”