SMILING Sam Crompton is the winner of this year's Examiner Sky High Sunflower Campaign.

And the nine-year-old Oakes youngster's win is all the more special because he grew his prizewinning sunflower in memory of his grandfather, Robert Wood.

Mr Wood, of Birchencliffe, died at Kirkwood Hospice, Dalton, in September, 2001.

The annual sunflower competition raises money for the hospice. This year it hopes to raise about £1,000.

Sam and brother Ben, six, raised about £80.

The prizewinning sunflower, which despite an appalling summer reached 319cm (more than 10ft 6in), was grown at their paternal grandad Barrie Crompton's home in Holywell Green.

"I think Grandad Crompton must have put something special in the water to make it grow so high," said Sam, who goes to Reinwood Junior School.

"We really enjoyed taking part in the campaign and thought it would be a nice way to raise money for the hospice, because they took such good care of Grandad Wood."

Second place in the competition went to Conor Ruane, seven, and sister Niamh, four, also of Oakes.

Their sunflower reached 317cm.

Derek Lindley, of Waterloo, was third with a 298cm flower.

He grew the sunflower for his daughter, Liz Ladlow, a member of the customer services team at Tesco in Huddersfield.

Tesco stores nationally are raising money for hospices this year with their Help the Hospices campaign.

Fourth place went to Lauren England, seven, of Golcar, who grew the sunflower with brother Ben, nine, and sister Zoe, five. Her sunflower was 279cm tall.

The winners received trophies given by Cobwood Trophies, Milnsbridge and grow kits from Armitages garden centres. Suttons Seeds gave the seeds for the contest.

About 200 people took part in this year's competition, which is jointly organised by the Examiner and Kirkwood Hospice.

Kate Leadbeater, the hospice's community fundraiser, said: "We had a wonderful response from everyone wanting to take part. Everyone had a lot of fun growing sunflowers, despite the terrible summer. We also raised lots of money to help patients."