A RECORD-BREAKING powerlifter has managed to grow a mammoth 14ft sunflower in his garden after ditching his weights for a watering can.

Mick Amey, of Rectory Road, Copford, began gardening last year after debilitating injuries to both of his shoulders.

Last summer he managed to harvest a bumper crop of dozens of diddy flowers, but this year just the one botanical beefcake bloomed.

As well as its humungous height, Mr Amey, 66, says the flower has a thick stem and giant head.

He said: “With all the powerlifting I have never really had chance to do anything in the garden until recently.

“Last year was the first time I had sunflowers and I had lots of lots.

“But this year there has just been this one and I have never seen anything like it before.

“It is like all of last year’s plants are the mothers and fathers of this gigantic one we have now – it is an amazing sight.”

Mr Amey believes a combination of excellent weather conditions and he and wife Mary’s devotion to the plant has resulted in its remarkable height.

He said: “There has been excellent weather conditions for growing with the hot weather followed by lots of rain and then more hot weather.

“I am also putting it down to wife getting out there and nurturing it and feeding it all kinds of fertiliser and Miracle-Gro at the beginning.

“The other amazing thing is it has the biggest leaves on it you have ever seen – absolutely massive.

“There is also a grapevine at the bottom of the garden which has been dormant since we have lived here which is more than 30 years.

“That has now sprung into life and we have grapes everywhere which I think must be connected to the sunflower.”

Mr Amey’s plant still has some way to go to catch up with the world’s tallest ever sunflower which stood at more than 30ft tall and was grown by green-fingered German gardener Hans-Peter Schiffer in 2014.

He said: “I didn’t know what the record was but I think mine is still growing and the head is getting bigger.

“It is a monster.”