Take 22 kilos of flour and eight kilos of fruit and what have you got? One giant record.

Pegrum Bakery in Rustington, near Littlehampton, yesterday broke the world record for the biggest, widest and heaviest hot cross bun.

The bun weighed in at 42.8 kilos - or almost 8st - and had a circumference of more than 12ft 7in and a diameter of 48.5in.

Nicknamed the Giant Beastie Bun, it took five-and-a-half hours to cook and six bakers to lift it out of the oven.

A steel tray had to be specially made to hold it.

Dough master Simon Head said: "We only had ten days to prepare. It has certainly livened the place up.

"We are normally used to baking about 5,000 hot cross buns a day at this time of year, not one giant one."

Hilary Matthews from the bakery said: "We are elated we have beaten the record.

"The weights and measures man told us our is bigger, wider and heavier than any other hot cross bun."

Among those watching as the bun was taken out of the oven was the chairwoman of Rustington Parish Council, Linda Beard.

She said: "This is a very proud moment for Rustington. I don't think we have had a record-breaking attempt here before."

The giant bun will be varnished and put on show in Littlehampton Museum.