WHEN nine-year-old Isaac Livesey planted six sunflower seeds in April, he was hoping for a beanstalk -- but got a couple of giants instead.

The youngster threw the seeds in a grow bag at the Livesey Branch family home in Blackburn and two branched out into giant sunflowers, more than 12ft tall.

His dad Andy, 45, said: "The packet said they were of the giant variety and they are huge.

"We didn't really expect much because of the British weather so these have really surprised us. The flower heads are around 2ft across and we needed a new ladder to get up and measure them."

Also amazed by the sunflowers were mum Patricia, 44, and brother Howard, six.