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TEARS were shed after a prized pumpkin belonging to a family from Gosport was ‘smashed’ to pieces.

Charlie Lewis, 38, was growing the squash with her three children at their allotment in Brockhurst.

Last Friday, the mother with incurable cancer found out that the prize family fruit was vandalised and thrown onto a shop roof.

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Charlie Lewis, 38, said her three children were 'devastated' after finding the pumpkin they had planted and tended had been 'smashed' by a vandal. Pictured is Elizabeth, 11, Michael, nine, and Jack, 4. Picture: Charlie Lewis.

Ms Lewis, who was informed about what happened by her husband, told The News: ‘He was just cutting the grass on my plot and went over to check the pumpkin, because the kids were excited at how big it had got, but when he got there, it had disappeared.

‘We initially thought it had been stolen, I was in hospital at the time, so he video-called me and as he was walking back he saw what looked like the pumpkin on the allotment shop roof.

‘He hooked down whatever was up there and it was a chunk of the pumpkin.

‘Someone had obviously smashed it up and tried to hide it by chucking it on the roof.’

The family and children have been resilient since the act of vandalism, continuing to do gardening. It is the main family activity the whole family can join in with. Ms Lewis said the activities they do as a family are limited, as she is being treated for breast cancer. Picture: Charlie Lewis.

Ms Lewis has been gardening with her family since before they moved to Gosport a few years ago.

Her children Elizabeth, 11, Michael, nine, and Jack, four, were said to be heartbroken when they found out about the ruined fruit.

‘The kids were quite devastated,’ Me Lewis added.

‘They were looking forward to carving it at Halloween, and it was the first year we had grown such a big pumpkin.

The pumpkin was found on the roof of the allotment shop, in Brockhurst. Picture: Charlie Lewis.

‘It was so big back in August. They probably wouldn’t have been so upset if they had not missed how big it had gotten.’

The mum of three was ‘quite upset’ by the vandalism, as tending to the allotment is a ‘mellow activity’ which the family can do together without putting too much strain on her.

Elizabeth and Ms Lewis have both had cancer more than once.

Charlie was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, but after clearing up, it moved to the other side of her body and became metastatic – incurable.

Children of Gosport mum with incurable cancer 'devastated' after prized Halloween pumpkin 'smashed'

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