Boy catches biggest goldfish

A schoolboy angler reeled in what is thought to be the biggest goldfish ever found in Britain.

The 5lb (2.3kg) fish, which is 16in (41cm) long, was caught in a lake in Poole, Dorset, by 16-year-old Nick Richards. It is thought to have been abandoned there after outgrowing its tank and has since thrived on plenty of food in the sheltered lake.

It beats Goldie the pet goldfish from Folkestone, Kent, who at 15.7in long and weighing 2lb, was declared the biggest in Britain in 2008.

The teenager from Camberley, Surrey, has just finished taking his GCSEs, and was hoping for a carp when he spotted the flash of orange under the water.

He said: "At first I thought it must be a really fat koi carp, but when I saw it properly I realised it was a common goldfish. It looked like it was healthy and in good condition."

He jokingly named it Billy before throwing it back into the lake.