HUGE copper sharks were waiting for top Kent angler Ray Newing and his girlfriend Ann Tilbury when the pair left the cold shores of Sheppey for Namibia.

The two-week fishing break in Swakopmund proved hugely successful for Ray who hauled in a 286lb shark.

The tugman, from Sheerness, had been to Namibia on previous trips and had his eye set on the 250lb local record, but to beat it by almost 40lb is an excellent achievement.

The monster of a fish, which was caught on a 30lb test line, took more than an hour to land with the fish taking 300 yards of line in its many attempts to slip the hook.

The fish was weighed, verified by two local guides and released totally undaunted by its tug of war with its captor.

Ann also enjoyed some great sport fishing, catching an array of species including cobfish, gully and sand sharks, and the most unusual a 3lb octopus.

But her biggest haul was another copper shark tipping the scales at an impressive 150lb, which took 40 minutes to land.