A green-fingered Wandsworth family has been admiring a prize sunflower which has shot up to a height of more than 13ft.

The McLean-Brown family has been planting seeds in their Coliston Road garden for the past seven years - since before the births of children Amelia and Jonathan.

And this year - with a little help from a sachet of Miracle Gro - they recorded their best result yet, with one sunflower hitting a height of 157 inches, or 13ft 1in.

Six-year-old Amelia, who goes to school in Putney, said: "I loved watching our sunflowers grow but I was worried that the tall ones would blow over in the wind. The really big one is quite amazing."

Her brother, Jonathan, 4, who has just started school in Wimbledon Village, added: "I want to climb it like Jack and the beanstalk."

Mum Melissa said: "Simon and I say that there is something good about the soil very locally in Wandsworth that means we can grow really tall sunflowers and also some other delicious crops - blackberries, tomatoes, broad beans and strawberries. Plus our herbs like basil have all thrived this year."