IT is a quintessential English contest that is played out in village halls and social clubs up and down the country in the run up to Hallowe'en.

But as the competition season begins afresh there is one fierce rivalry that will not be revived.

The cancellation of last year's contest between the New Forest villages of Milford on Sea and Everton sparked a controversy that was worthy of an investigation by Wallace and Gromit.

The eagerly awaited fixture, part of the social calendar for 30 years, was called off amid accusation of foul play.

Ian Paton, who led Milford to victory the previous year by growing an 819lb (317kg) pumpkin in one of the glasshouses at Pinetops Nursery, Pennington, which is owned by his family, was the man under fire.

His specimen was so big that it took the expertise of the British Army to deliver it to the annual Pumpkin Festival at the Royal Victoria Country Park in Netley.

But rival growers at Everton questioned Mr Paton's decision to grow indoors under controlled conditions rather than in a back garden.

Everton team captain John Chaffey claimed Milford growers wanted to turn the competition into "something more than just a fun thing".

He added it was sad it had grown out of all proportion and claimed that unfair methods were being used.

Milford denied any breach of growing rules. Since the row, which made national headlines, it seems the clubs have been unable to reconcile their differences and have gone their separate ways.

Everton Social Club treasurer Sue Newberry told the Daily Echo she had not heard from Milford since a letter was received in August last year.

It said that with regret Milford was unable to fulfil the fixture after "30 years of ups and downs".

It explained that "local builders have commandeered most of the available growing land" and there were "insufficient cultivators to form a quorum".

It offered the olive branch of an alternative competition, but no firm proposals resulted.

Everton will now hold its own competition on the village green tomorrow in a fundraiser for Oakhaven Hospice with musical entertainment from the New Forest Plonkers.

"We didn't want to let it go and wanted to keep it on our calendar," said Mrs Newberry.