Liverpool angler Robby Harrison cradles the carp that could yet take the British record – at 71lb 4oz.

The mirror carp, called Big Rig, is the same RH Fisheries monster that sent shockwaves through the carp fishing community when caught only a few weeks ago by Tom Doherty at 69lb3oz.

Tom was bombarded with threats and abuse after the capture, with many claiming that the fish is ‘manufactured’ and has no place on the record lists.

Rob Hales, fishery owner, readily admits that the fish, which lives in The Avenue in Shropshire, was legally imported from Israel in 2009 before he bought it at 39lb three years ago. He then put it into an intense growth and weight gain regime.

The British Record Fish Committee will consider whether Big Rig can qualify for record status. For now the record remains at 68lb 1oz, caught in January 2016.

For the record, the fish took the 58-year-old’s Mainline Hybrid boilie offering.