Pimp your pumpkin. That’s the challenge being laid down to children and young people in Watford in a competition to help families enjoy Halloween from their own homes.

Forget about the mess of carving pumpkins, this year the onus is on getting creative by painting or decorating them.

Carving pumpkins can be hard work and lead to food wastage, so this year Watford Borough Council want youngsters to dress them up or paint them instead. It could be your favourite film character, pop singer, cartoon character or animal – the list is endless.

Prizes will be awarded for the best pimped up pumpkin in the following age groups: up to nine years, ten to 15 years and 16 and over. The competition will be open for entries until Monday, November 2, and parents can send a photograph of their family’s creations to events@watford.gov.uk. The mayor of Watford Peter Taylor will then choose three winners, who will each receive a prize.

Watford Observer:

The mayor said: “We’re launching the ‘Pimp Your Pumpkin’ competition this year, to offer some fun for families at home this Halloween. We know many families love buying pumpkins already at Halloween time, so this is a great way to show off your creations and enjoy looking at the creations of others.

“While Halloween is a time when many people dress up and have fun, this year we urge families to take part in lower risk activities, such as pumpkin trails or displaying spooky pictures, helping to minimise the risk of spreading coronavirus to others.”

The council will upload all the spooky creations onto their social media. Entries to the competition must include name, age and contact number, so the winners can be contacted.

For more information, visit watfordbigevents.co.uk/pimp-your-pumpkin

Veolia and the council are also asking residents to cook and eat the inside of their pumpkins after taking part in the competition, and use their food waste bin to recycle the skin and stalk, to prevent a scary amount of food waste.