Mega-mushrooms popping up after rain

Put these in your fridge and there won't be mushroom left over!

The jumbo fungi, measuring up to 23cms (9ins) in diameter, were found in fields in Shropshire.

Father-of-three Stuart Tomlins, a mechanic and lorry driver from Halfway House, spotted one of the mushrooms, weighing-in at 544g (1lb 2oz), in a field at the back of his house on Saturday.

He said: "We noticed it looking out of the window – it was so big it looked like a plate, so we investigated."

He then brought the mushroom inside to show to eight-year-old son Oliver, who attends Llangedwyn Primary School in Powys.

Mr Tomlins said: "The trouble is it's been partly eaten away by something so I don't know what we'll do with it. But Oliver was really chuffed to see it and he posed for a picture with it, which makes it look even bigger."

Meanwhile, Gordon Goddard, of Weston Lullingfields, near Baschurch, spotted his mega-mushroom, which has a diameter of 21cm (8.3 ins), as he was passing through Montford, near Shrewsbury.

The 69-year-old believes this summer's continuous heavy rain enabled the mushroom to grow so big.

Mr Goddard, who audits farms for a living, said his mushroom had a circumference of 21cms (8.3ins) around the stalk and weighed 3lb.

He said: "I have been picking mushrooms for some time but this is the biggest I've ever found and I spotted it at the side of the road. I couldn't believe my eyes.

"I think it's grown this big because of the continual heavy rain. It's also unusual to see them growing at this time of year.

"I have spoken to someone who studies mushrooms and they said the biggest they have seen was the size of a dinner plate. But this is bigger."

Anne Monie, member of the Whitchurch branch of the Shropshire Wildlife Trust, said the weather could be responsible.