Man shells out on rare spherical egg in auction

Ed Pownall received the unique item on Saturday after it was sent by courier from Scotland

A man has described buying a spherical chicken egg, which he spontaneously purchased at auction after a few pints, as "money well spent".

Ed Pownall, from Lambourn, in Berkshire, shelled out £150 for the egg, which is reportedly one in a billion.

The egg, which is round rather than ovoid, was sent to him by courier from Scotland.

It had been discovered by a woman who found it in a box from her local supermarket in Ayr.

The auctioneers described it as "almost perfectly spherical"

Mr Pownall spotted the rarity up for sale on the website of auction house Thomson Roddick Callan while he was at the pub.

"I had a glass in the local down here in Lambourn and thought I'd pop in a bid," he said.

After securing the auction lot, Mr Pownall arranged for a courier to deliver it but admitted he had not decided what to do with it once it arrived.

The egg arrived packed in bubble wrap and polystyrene packing peanuts to protect it

He said, however, he would do his best to preserve it.

"I believe there's a thing called egg blowing, where you put a little hole in the bottom and get the yolk out," he said.

"But I don't know how to do that and obviously I don't want to mess it up."

When asked whether he had any regrets over his purchase, Mr Pownall said: "It's quite fun... I think for a £150 it's been money well spent."