A Chepstow company is hoping Christmas goes with a bang after making what is thought to be the world's biggest cracker.

Mabey Bridge, an engineering firm specialising in steel manufacture for bridges, infrastructure and renewable energy, turned its skills to creating a giant version of the festive favourite.

Weighing an astonishing 45 tonnes and at 25 metres in length, the cracker will take some pulling.

Manufactured from high quality steel 20cm thick and fabricated to exacting standards using Mabey Bridge's state-of-the-art automated processes, the company still hasn't devised a way of pulling it yet, although the design team has estimated that a force of 10,000 tonnes applied in opposite directions might be enough.

The statistics of the cracker take some beating. When the cracker is eventually pulled, the explosive sound will shatter windows within a five mile radius, while the joke contained inside is estimated to be even longer than the average Oscar acceptance speech.

The paper hat included has a diameter of 20 metres and has been created using 63 metres of crepe paper.

Mabey Bridge is keeping tight-lipped about the gift contained inside, as plant director, Robin Stevens explained.

"We don't want to say what the gift is, suffice to say that at 3.5 metres in diameter and perfectly cylindrical, the cracker can easily accommodate gifts up to the size of motorbikes or even pianos."

Mabey Bridge is undecided about producing boxed sets of the crackers.

"Can you imagine the logistical nightmare of delivering a box of 12 of these?" added Robin.

"We have considerable experience delivering major steel structures by road, including an 80 metre drill conductor for use in Europe's largest offshore wind turbine development, as well as major components for bridges and infrastructure.

"However, we need to be realistic here. Besides, you're going to need a table the size of the Wembley pitch and a turkey the size of Godzilla or it'll just look silly."