EXCLUSIVE Pumpkins 10 times their normal size, 2lb tomatoes, 14lb aubergines, 9-inch chillies.. and all grown from seeds sent into orbit by China. But how safe are they?

They came from Outer Space... huge monsters never seen on Earth before. And they could soon be heading towards a supermarket near you...

These giant fruit and veg, grown from seeds sent into space, are now being grown in southern China where they are being heralded as a solution to the world's food shortage.

While the West agonises over genetically-modified crops China is steaming ahead with its own answer to GM and they are not shy about exporting the produce.

Then two years ago the Shijian-8, the first recoverable satellite designed solely to carry space seeds, was blasted into outer space on China's Long March rocket. On board were more than 2,000 seeds.

Once the seeds are returned from space they are cultivated and only fruit or vegetables that show improvements in size, taste or vitamin and mineral content are selected