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Celebrity chefs are being blamed for an increase in the number of people trying to take mushrooms from the Royal Parks,

The Metropolitan Police Service’s Royal Parks unit said a steady rise of mushroom foragers has been noticed over the last few years, with almost 80 people issued with police warnings.

Two people - Grzegorz Szumielewicz, 47, from Isleworth, and Gianiuca Galetti, 38, from Hornsey – were handed conditional discharges at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court in the last year after pleading guilty to removing the fungus from Richmond Park without permission.

But police believe a unusual trend could be to blame.

PC Paul Barber, from the Royal Parks police, said: “We’ve noticed a steady rise in mushroom foraging over the years which could possibly be attributed to celebrity chefs’ endorsement.

“In some cases, we’ve caught individuals with enough mushrooms to fill a small dustbin.”

Ecology experts are now warning park users not to interfere with the mushrooms as it can hinder its reproduction and diminish the population.

Andy Overall, from the London Fungus Group, said: “Due to the natural and historic nature of the Royal Parks many rare and in some cases endangered species of fungi thrive among acid grasslands and ancient oaks.

“With the number of people foraging fungi in the Royal Parks thought to be on the rise, this will no doubt have some impact on the fabric of the parks, be that an impact on the habitat, the other animals and insects that use the fungi, or our enjoyment of seeing the fruitbodies of some of the more spectacular fungi.

“Larger fungi are for all people to enjoy, not just the few.”

The majority of warnings were issued to users of Richmond Park, a Royal Parks spokeswoman said.