Five-year-old Maria Lockyer was today giving the Cinderella story a Hallowe'en twist she hopes will win her a mention in the Guinness Book of Records.

In a David Blaine-style stunt, the youngster will tonight step inside a huge hollowed-out pumpkin in her local pub, taking her favourite book for company and staying there for half an hour in aid of charity.

Occasionally pulling faces at the regulars through the square-cut holes, Maria will be fed soft drinks and crisps to help her through her stunt at the Royal Oak, Poynings.

Each year the pub has a guess the weight of the pumpkin competition thanks to local growers who compete to grow the biggest in the village.

This year's has again been grown by John, who is now just known as "John the Pumpkin".

The largest is always placed on the bar and regulars try and guess the correct weight with the winner getting a bottle of champagne and ticket proceeds going to a local charity.

This year it is going to the Sussex Beacon Trust, which helps people with Aids.

The idea for the stunt was born when Maria's mother Joanne went to the pub and saw this year's whopper, exclaiming: "That's almost as big as my daughter".

That sparked off a debate and prompted landlord Paul Day to look into the size of pumpkins. During his investigations he discovered there was no world record for someone sitting inside one.

He is hoping that will change tonight when Maria, who is 3ft tall, steps into her temporary home and stays there for at least half and hour.

Paul said: "We always have a bit of fun with the annual guess the weight of the pumpkin competition and this year we thought we would go for a world record, thanks to Maria."

The pub will submit photos of the attempt to Guinness judges in the hope a new category will be created to put the Royal Oak on the map.

Maria, who lives in the village with her parents and sister Emily, 11, is looking forward to her bid.

"I'm confident I can do it. I will take my favourite book about a ballerina. I'm looking forward to having photographs taken and making faces at people through the holes in the side of the pumpkin."

Joanne said: "She loves to be the centre of attention."