THE winning entry was almost as big as a newborn baby and there wasn't a dry eye in the room.

This year's onion show at the Royal Standard in Gwinear attracted some of the area's best growers.

But it was Leedstown's David Thomas, who walked away with the prize for biggest onion – with his whopping 5lb 6oz specimen.

Bernard Grose submitted the second heaviest onion while Colin Thomas walked away with the prize for best onion in the district.

The onion show was an annual event at the pub until the previous landlord decided to stop it seven years ago. It moved to another pub for a few years but then finished.

But onion enthusiast Bert Rowe was keen to resurrect it and new landlord of the Standard, Wayne Berry, was keen to help.

Mr Berry said they hoped to increase the number of competitors at next year's show, on the first Thursday in October.

He said: "We had about ten to 12 contestants (last week) but I don't think the weather helped because Thursday night was awful. There should have been at least double what there was."

Regardless of the number of entrants, Mr Berry said the evening was enjoyed by all and raised £240 for St Julia's Hospice in Hayle with a raffle and an auction of the onions at the end of the night.

The landlord, who took over the pub three months ago, said: "My wife, Nicola and I are very keen to do fundraising and do things that help the local community."