AN EARLY Halloween display has been wrecked after a pumpkin was stolen from outside a family's home.

Mum-of-one Rachel Parry had painted the witches from Hocus Pocus on the windows of the home she shares with daughter Emma, 20, and husband Nick.

The trio had placed three pumpkins outside their home in Portway Close, Bitterne, early last month.

But they were shocked to find the largest pumpkin had been stolen last Friday.

Rachel said the winter squash had been next to her front door for weeks before disappearing and calls the loss "spooky."

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The 46-year-old, who works as a carer, said: "We decorated quite a bit early to get into the spirit since my daughter is really into Halloween.

"On the night I came in at about 9pm and it was still there but in the morning when my husband and daughter left for work it was gone. 

"At first I thought my husband Nick or my daughter Emma had taken it to work with them but when I asked they said they didn't.

"We thought that maybe some kids had taken it and we would have found the pumpkin smashed somewhere. We looked for it but it just vanished.

"It was quite a big pumpkin so it would be to have to go too far. I know pumpkins aren't in stores yet.

"We bought ours from the Itchen Fruit and Farm shop because they had them early. We will buy more pumpkins before Halloween too."

Rachel says that she and her family are not upset about the loss and hope that the pumpkin is being well looked after.

She said: "I hope if someone had taken it that they didn't plan on eating it because it would be rotten on the inside but now.

"We would've given it to them if they asked for it since we give out little pumpkins to the kids at Beechwood or Glenfield school when they go by.

"I think if an animal wanted it though there would have been evidence of that."

The family still hopes for the possible return of the pumpkin and will add it to their decorations if it is handed in.

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