Pumpkins are in short supply after a poor summer

The harvest is down by 25% across the South East and by 40% in Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire.

Suppliers are using patrols, geese and dogs to protect crops from thieves, who can make �150 from just 25 pumpkins.

Supermarket giant Sainsbury's said Kent and Surrey growers were ripening their fruit in locked barns.

Gamekeeper patrols

Barfoots, which is based in Chichester, has about 200 acres of pumpkin fields across West Sussex.

Six gamekeepers were brought in after suppliers asked for extra measures to ensure supplies were delivered.

Sales manager Neil Warden said farm workers had been asked to check fields at dusk and in the morning.

Kids love to cut faces in them and put candles inside, so it will be a real shame if they can't get them this year Safeway duty manager

Adding that Barfoots sends most of its pumpkins to a superstore with any surplus then sent to markets across the country, he said stopping the rustlers would protect the market supply.

Managing director Graham Young said: "We first noticed the pumpkin thefts a few weeks ago when 10 to 20 were stolen overnight.

"But the thefts have become more frequent which has prompted us to make sure we keep guards.

"This year, we've been able to grow about 250,000 pumpkins, but normally we would have 60,000 to 70,000 more."

Shop supplies

Tesco said its suppliers had been asked to bring in security patrols, while Sainsbury's said growers were storing the fruit in secure barns.

Sainsbury's in Oldbury has said pumpkins will not be sold until 20 October, to make sure stocks last until after bonfire night.

The duty manager at Safeway in West Bromwich said: "Kids love to cut faces in them and put candles inside, so it will be a real shame if they can't get them this year."

She said the supermarket did have pumpkins in stock, but knew that growers were struggling.