EVEN though summer is coming to an end, three York gardens will be benefiting from an extra ray of sunshine thanks to the giant sunflowers which are pushing skywards there.

Albert Norton from Moor Lane, Haxby, has grown a 10ft sunflower in his garden, although he knew nothing about it until it started growing.

Mr Norton said he did not plant the flower, but to his surprise it just started to grow a few months ago. He decided just to leave it.

He believes a bird flying over the garden could have dropped a sunflower seed which has now transformed into the large plant.

He said: "I did not know anything about it until it started growing and I think must have been a bird. It looks lovely now in my garden."

Young gardener Thomas Pannett, has managed to grow a 14ft sunflower.

The Woodthorpe School pupil started growing the plant as part of a school project and brought it home at the end of term.

Thomas, aged five, has watered the plant twice a day throughout the summer holidays, but Thomas' mother, April, said she never thought it would grow as big as it did.

She said: "We did not think it would grow so big. We were surprised at its size when he brought it home from school and then it just kept getting bigger and bigger."

Also doing well in the growing stakes were seven-year-old Mellissa Clasper, and friends Claudia Roddam, three, and Holly Roddam, seven, of Holgate, who cultivated a 14ft monster sunflower.

Updated: 09:48 Saturday, September 14, 2002