A VETERAN onion grower has once again won a top prize for a king-sized vegetable.

Retired miner, Billy Lamb, 64, from Wordsworth Road, Easington Colliery, retained the heaviest onion title for the seventh successive year in the Newcastle Breweries World's Heaviest Leek and Onion Show.

Mr Lamb, whose entry this year at 14lb 14oz was his biggest ever, has been growing prize-winning vegetables at his allotment for the past 40 years.

He said: "My success is down to hard work and getting the stock right.

"When I entered my first show, I came last and decided I had to do better.

"I have improved every year and in 1998, I even won the prize for the best onion and leeks.

"But there are always others trying to catch you up. I enter to win and I'll be doing the same next year.''

Show organiser Dickie Atkinson said he was delighted to have had such a high level of entries for the 25th year of the show.

He said: "I have been involved from the beginning, organising the last 14, and to see the size of entries increase has been amazing.''

It was the last show to be held under the banner of Newcastle Breweries but regional sales director Tony Clark confirmed the future of the show, which attracts entries from all over the country, is secure.