A New Zealand couple who believed they had dug up the world’s largest potato, have had their hopes mashed, after Guinness World Records confirmed it was not a potato after all.

The spud looking plant, known as a tuber, was discovered last August at the couple’s farm near Hamilton when Colin Craig-Brown and his wife Donna were gardening.

However, after months of submitting photos and paperwork, the couple were informed last week by Guinness that the scientific test results were negative.

The email said: “Sadly the specimen is not a potato and is in fact the tuber – a type of gourd. For this reason we do unfortunately have to disqualify the application”.

“What can you say?” said a disappointed Mr Craig-Brown. “We can’t say we don’t believe you, because we gave them the DNA stuff.”

The tuber, which was named Dug by the couple, became something of a local celebrity when it was found.

The pair began posting comical photos of Dug wearing a hat on Facebook, and even built a cart to tow the tuber around.

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If Dug had been a potato, it would have beat the current record for the largest spud which stands at 5kg.

The Craig-Browns’ tuber weighs 7.8kg and 17lbs – which is equal to a couple of sacks of spuds or a small dog.

They are still very fond of Dug, despite the tuber not making the plate, and still lives in their freezer.

“I say ‘g’day’ to him every time I pull out some sausages” said Mr Craig-Brown. “He’s a cool character. Whenever the grandchildren come round they say ‘can we see Dug’.”

He added that “Dug is the destroyer of Down Under” and the “world’s biggest not a potato”.

The couple is still determined to grow a record breaking potato.

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