A Yorkshire grower has beaten mid-Cheshire's world record holder Kelvin Archer by a whisker for the world's heaviest gooseberry.

Graeme Watson, a 59-year-old veteran grower from Ainthorpe, North Yorkshire, took the crown at Egton Bridge Old Gooseberry Society show.

And his berry of 41 pennyweights 12 grains - only a grain heavier than Kelvin's record established in Mid-Cheshire in 2013 - was a Millenium, ironically a variety originally raised by Frank Carter from Blackden, Goostrey.

In 2010, the Egton show's Bryan Nellist wrested the record from Kelvin, who won it in 1993 and regained it in 2013 with a Millenium berry of 41 pennyweights 11 grains.

Kelvin, whose berry is featured in the Guinness Book of Records, is head gardener at Rode Hall, Scholar Green, and takes part in Marton and Lower Withington shows.

Tension was high at the village's St Hedda's schoolroom as Graeme 's golf-ball sized fruit was put on the scales and weighed in to take the Holy Grail of gooseberry growing.

The Egton Bridge show founded in 1800 is the oldest surviving event of its kind in the country and the only one outside Cheshire and a competition established in Sweden in recent years.

Graeme, who is one of Egton's regular champions, won the annual show beating some 30 other competitors.

Afterwards he told local BBC radio it had been a "race against time" to get the berry to the show as once the fruits were picked they begin to lose weight.

"It was picked last night, it was a little bit of a surprise. I got my hands on it and thought, 'this is a good one'," he said.

"I have been trying a long, long time. It's probably a once-in-a-lifetime gooseberry for most growers. It's the Holy Grail of gooseberry growing."

To ensure the yellow gooseberry arrived in top condition, Graeme said he created a special box to carry it in.

"A mini carrying box, padded out inside and lined in egg trays," he said.

"I had it on my knee in the car just in case we hit any potholes or cattle grids.

He said growing gooseberries where he lives was a "bit testing".

"We have to keep the bushes healthy, keep pests off them, get the fertiliser requirements right. It's just paying attention to detail."

The Egton Bridge show and competitions in Cheshire use different scales to weigh their berries. Graeme's berry weighed in at 64.56grams the equivalent of a grain over the record held by Kelvin Archer.

Three growers from Goostrey, secretary Martin de Krester, Terry Price and Derek Hardacre, watched as the berry was put on the scales to take the world record.

Martin, competing at the show for only the second time as a visitor, was second in the maiden class with his premier berry and first in the maiden class for the heaviest twins, winning the Novice Cup. Terry, a regular competitor at Egton, was placed third in the contest for the heaviest white berry in the show.