A massive bream weighing 22lb 6oz has been washed up on the shores of Oxfordshire trout reservoir Farmoor No1.

The fish is the biggest ever seen in this country, although they are known to grow to that size in some Scandanavian countries.

The bream, found by warden Chris Slade, was spawnbound but weighed nearly 4lb over the current British best.

The Thames Water controlled venue and its neighbour Farmoor No2 produce double figure bream every year to fly anglers, although nothing over 14lb has been seen there before.

Chris described the fish, pictured in this week’s Angler”s Mail, as ‘a breathtaking sight’.