DINERS across the country can tuck into an autumnal pizza designed by a former Swindon carer Patricia Moroney.

She has become only the second person in PizzaExpress’s 50 year history to have her vision created in dough and toppings.

Her entry in the pizza chain’s Create Your New Favourite competition beat more than 60,000 others and won her £10,000 and a holiday to Italy's Amalfi coast.

The former Swindon Carers' Centre worker will share her prize winnings with the organisation she used to work with having been inspired by the work they do to support carers in the town.

Speaking from her new home in Exeter, Patricia – who worked with the centre from 2010 until 2013 – said the organisation had made a huge impact on her during her time there.

She said: “It was a really lovely place to work and the staff are tremendous.

“They are very much the silent army and the country owes them so much – they save the government a complete and utter fortune because of the care they put in – and they do it all without even thinking they are doing anything exceptional.

“Carers don’t understand how much they are giving and the cost to their futures and opportunities are being restricted by the generosity of their actions.

"Caring comes so naturally, but it shouldn’t be taken for granted.”

She will also be making a donation from her winnings to Force Cancer Charity, and said she can’t wait for her visit to the Amalfi coast.

Patricia's Romana Autunno pizza was inspired by the colours of autumn and features smoky chorizo, sweet, garlic-roasted butternut squash, creamy goat’s cheese, dark green spinach and chilli flakes.

It comes on a thin and crispy Romana base and is finished with a drizzle of chilli oil, giving it a spicy kick.

She had to choose from a list of 250 ingredients, and managed to beat competition from TV’s Made in Chelsea star Binky Falstead and Jamie Laing, who created ‘The Binky’ and ‘The Lost Boi’.

The entries were whittled down by a panel of judges to just five before going to the public vote, which saw Patricia’s receive the prestigious top menu billing.

Celebrating her win Patricia joined the “pizzaiolos” at PizzaExpress Taunton for the first, exclusive taste of her pizza.

She said: “I had to toss the pizza above my head and it didn’t land on anyone’s head, I had visions of decorating the chefs with this flying pizza or even myself, but luckily I didn’t, and that was the first time I tasted it.

“I’m on cloud nine. I still can’t believe my pizza won or how delicious it tastes.”