Fisherman nets 'monster' lobster

Aquarist Neil Duffield with the giant lobster. Pic: Sealife Adventure

A fisherman from Essex has netted a huge lobster measuring 3ft (0.9m) long.

The haul was made by 54-year-old John Elbra as he fished in the River Crouch, at Barling near Southend. He described his catch as blooming big.

The crustacean is being kept at the Sealife Adventure in Southend and curator David Knapp told BBC News it may have been alive for 50 years.

He said: "He's been around a long time, he's been quite lucky, he's kept himself hidden away."

Mr Knapp added: "It's not just the size, but the condition of the shell that gives away the age of a lobster.

"He has an eye missing, and there's a small mussel growing in the empty eye socket that looks quite gruesome."

Mr Elbra, a fisherman with 38 years experience, said: "He was a bit of a big one - a proper old father Neptune.

Lobster has a mussel growing in its eye socket

"I was gobsmacked. I would never have believed they got that size.

"He was a blooming big one and I've seen a few thousand lobsters in my life."

Mr Knapp said the lobster may be kept at the centre.

He said: "He was trawled and dragged a long way in a net, so returning him to his stomping ground may be difficult, so we'll see how he gets on here.

"If he stays here, we'll probably put him in our deep water display with the sharks. He'll be ok there - he's about the same size they are."