Farmers have warned that recent wet weather could threaten the UK's pumpkin crop, as demand increases in the run-up to Halloween. Some farmers have claimed that this year has been the worst season for the iconic squashes in over a decade.

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Although supermarkets have played down the concerns – caused by recent rains after milder weather in late summer, which have affected crop quality – Waitrose has said there may be some supply problems in the North of England. North-eastern areas could be worse affected, with problems in the fields concentrated around Lincolnshire.

Jim Meer of supplier Barfoots, based in Hampshire, told the BBC that "Recent weather has made harvesting conditions extremely difficult and with increased demand and lower yields it’s a juggling act to ensure our retail customers are getting sufficient stock."

However, growers in the Midlands have reported that this year's crop has been a good one, with some rot, but good quality overall thanks to the warm summer weather.  

Of the 10 million pumpkins grown in the UK each year, over 95 percent are destined to become jack-o'-lanterns to celebrate Halloween and won’t be eaten.

Sainsbury's has announced that it will be trialling new measures to avoid the unnecessary waste of pumpkins, including educating customers in stores and running a pilot project allowing consumers to return pumpkins to shops for composting.