An amateur angler reeled in the biggest ever fish caught by rod in UK freshwater in Maldon on Saturday evening.

Darren Reitz, 34, from Rainham, claims he and three others fought for 50 minutes to haul the 143lb catfish out of Chigborough Lake, Maldon.

The previous record for a catfish was set at 130lb, prompting the British Record (rod-caught) Fish Committee to encourage Darren to claim his title. 

The angler said he was overjoyed by his catch which has been nicknamed Scar. 

Mr Reitz, who began fishing in 2017, had a long day of disappointment before switching his bait and landing the giant catch.

Mr Reitz said he was "over the moon".

"I can't stop talking about it, you never think you will catch something like that." he told the Telegraph.

Chigborough lake in Maldon is home to Chigborough Fisheries, which regularly boasts their visitor's catches on their Facebook page and website.