A DOG walker discovered a giant puffball more than a metre long and weighing 6kg while strolling by the River Crouch.

Michael Kosloff, of Rochester Drive, Westcliff, made the surprising discovery during a walk with his wife Amanda, 49, and their dog in south Fambridge.

The couple then took it home and ate it for dinner.

Mr Kosloff said the 6kg mushroom wasn’t there the previous week so believes it got to its monstrous size in just seven days.

The world record for the giant puffball mushroom is 150cm and Mr Kosloff’s was 131cm.

He said: “We were amazed when we found it.

“I first thought it was some rocks or stones. There were two of them in the middle of the path where we take our dog.

“They weren’t there last week.

“From researching them, it seems they grow very quickly and giant puffballs are the largest type of mushroom in the world.”

The 39-year-old psyciatrist researched the mushroom on Google and found out it was edible, so cooked it with some garlic and butter.

He said it was delicious.

Mr Kosloff added: “We found out theywere edible, they are 100 per cent safe to eat.

“We found lots of recipes online and found out they are very expensive in high-end restaurants.

“It tasted very nice. It had a creamy cheese texture and wasn’t rubbery like a normal mushroom.

“We ate a plateful and most of the mushroom is still left.”