AN ARRAY of artistic carved pumpkin designs welcomed visitors to a hotel last week.

The Apollo Hotel, in Popley Way, encouraged on social media for people to enter its pumpkin design competition with the entries arrayed in the foyer of the hotel on Friday, 27 October ahead of judging.

First prize for a spider web pattern carved pumpkin earned a voucher for afternoon tea for four at the hotel, second prize for an intricate skull motif on a pale pumpkin won seven days access to the hotel pool and third prize of a £30 voucher for the beauty rooms at the hotel was earned by the designer of a ship-style pumpkin.

Paul Fearon, hotel general manager, said: "We had staff take part and then we opened the competition up on our social media - we wanted the people of Basingstoke to get involved with us as we are an independent hotel and want to be part of the community here.

"There is some really fantastic designs - it is great to see. The level of detail people have gone into is incredible."