Former hotelier Bob Harrop has fried more than 155,000 eggs over the years, but had never cracked a three- yolker — until now.

Mr Harrop beat odds of 25 million to one when he found the "triple yoker" as he prepared his English breakfast.

The father-of-two, from Barnstaple, has seen hundreds of double-yolk eggs while working at Chough's Nest Hotel, but never an egg with three yolks.

Mr Harrop, 70, said: "For 25 years I owned a hotel and have cooked and baked with more than 155,000 eggs, but have never seen a triple yolk egg.

"I have been preparing English breakfasts all my life and come from farming stock in Cheshire and have seen hundreds of double yolks.

"I just cracked open the egg and lo and behold there were three yolks in one egg.

"The eggs come from Columbian black tailed hens which I have never heard of before.

"My uncle had a poultry farm and he had thousands of hens who laid lots of double yolks but never a triple. I have spoken to a friend who is a farmer and my relatives in Cheshire but they have never heard of or seen a triple yolk."

A spokesman for the British Egg Information Service said: "It is not unheard of for an egg to have three yolks or more, but it's much rarer than double yolks."