As a result they bought another – a Maruten Kohaku – which they entered this year and took first prize.

To lift the massive trophy they had to beat thousands of koi dealers, enthusiasts and breeders from all around the world who made their annual pilgrimage to Tokyo, the Mecca of Koi keeping. They also had to beat hundreds of years of tradition as Mark, aged 43, explained.

"Getting accepted in Japanese koi circles is the hardest part," he said. "You can't even buy a fish over there unless you gain their total respect.

"And to win the All Japan Koi Show was just unthinkable a couple of years ago. "The older generation Japanese still find it unthinkable that any other nation should win the prize. We never really expected to win, even though our fish is superb."