GARDENERS have found themselves in a growing battle to contain a giant water lily, which is threatening to climb out of its 15ft tank.

Staff at Durham's Botanic Garden are having to cut back the huge plant, a native of South America, to stop it mounting the sides of an adapted paddling pool bought to house it.

The massive circular leaves of the Victoria Amazonica, which are armed with sharp spikes to fend off fish, have grown to 4ft.

Mike Hughes, head gardener, said: "We got it as a baby in March and you could keep it on your lap.

"We knew it would be big, but we're limited by the size of our greenhouse, so we have to keep hacking at it to make sure it stays in the tank."

Leaves on the giant water lily, which needs hours of sunshine and temperatures of about 26 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit), can grow from a bud to three feet across in less than a week. Each leaf has a life of about six weeks.

The Botanic Garden has made special arrangements to allow public viewing of its massive attraction, which is expected to thrive until dark nights set in about October.

For more information, call 0191-334-5521.