WHEN Gabriele Knight bought a tiny plant to brighten up her front garden, little did she know it would sprout into her very own monster!

Mrs Knight, of Brierley Street in Bury, bought the inch-tall hollyhock plant last year. After planting it in her front garden, winter frost quickly took hold and the plant seemed to wither away.

But, after weeks of unpredictable weather, the hollyhock finally kicked into a growth spurt and has reached a height of 12ft -- and is still growing.

Mrs Knight said: "I dont know what I have done to it! It is like something out of Jack and the Beanstalk. People do stop to stare and it can sometimes be embarrassing to be sat in my living room with a group of people outside staring at my plant."

She is now waiting to see how tall the plant will continue to grow and whether it will reappear next year.