SIZE matters - or at least it seems to in the tiny Dales hamlet of Gunnerside.

It is there that something which used to resemble Bill and Ben's friend, Little Weed, has refused to stop growing.

Tourists have been knocking on Margaret Johnson's door to ask if they can take pictures of the impressive sunflower in her garden.

"It's not all that tall, but its trunk is amazing. It's wider than a hand span, the leaves are around 18 inches long and over a foot wide. I've never seen a flower bigger than this one," she said.

It's thought the plant sprouted from birdseed Mrs Johnson leaves regularly for winged visitors to her garden.

"It may have come from the packet or perhaps one of the birds brought it with them,'' she said. However, anyone else who would like to see the flower for themselves may not have long left. Winter frosts are coming and the plant is already beginning to curl at the edges.

"I'm not sure when sunflowers die off, but it's already showing signs that it is not as happy as it was. I don't think it will be looking as impressive in a week or so,'' said Mrs Johnson