Pumpkin Picasso packs in pastime

Pumpkin sculptor Adele Richards at work

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HER pumpkin prowess is scary.

But this will be Coppice's very own queen of carving, Adele Richards, last Hallowe'en gourd-gouging challenge as she prepares to hang up her tools and devilish designs.

Adele has spent 10 years creating the most incredible Jack O'Lanterns, raising hundreds for charities such Dr Kershaw's, the ME Society and the Oldham Music Service ­- not to mention lighting up so many faces with her super scooping.

But family commitments mean she can no longer take the time off from her job at UK Circuits, in Middleton, so she's sadly giving up the pumpkin ghost.

She spent the weekend fiendishly cutting out 26 pumpkins for family, friends and as special requests in time for today's scare fest, including, yet again, one featuring former Manchester City keeper and England international, Joe Hart, and City's boss Pep Guardiola!

"Pep Guardiola is definitely this year's biggest challenge but I feared the Joe Hart one last year and that turned out OK," said Adele, a Blues fan.

"It's strange to think this will be my last year but I haven't been able to get motivated. There's so much going on I just haven't got the time any more. I will miss seeing people's faces when they see their pumpkin though."

Adele's pumpkin passion began when her neighbour moved to Blackpool and she cut an intricate Blackpool Tower design into one for a party she was having.

Since then she's carved everything from Bambi to Batman and even did a special design for the Chronicle to put in our reception.

This year the money she raises - she asks for a £5 donation as well as the cost of the pumpkin but she always includes a tea light, sweets and balloons inside ­- is going to Dr Kershaw's and the girls' football team, Corpus Rocs FC, which her daughter Nikki helped to set up at Corpus Christi RC Primary School before she headed off to Plymouth University in September.