A LEVIATHAN lobster has been saved from the cooking pot after fishery bosses took pity on him and gave the king-sized crustacean a last-minute reprieve.

The marine monster weighs in at a whopping 12lb and was destined to end up on dinner plates at a swanky London restaurant.

The lobster – nicknamed Roger – had been specially shipped from Canada to East Mersea’s Colchester Oyster Fishery, which supplies the capital’s best kitchens.

But when a customer cancelled their order, the firm decided to spare him from ending up in a boiling pot.

They launched a Release Roger campaign in a desperate bid to find a new home for the deep-sea giant, who would be worth up to £500 on top London menus.

Spokesman Paul Harding said: “Roger is a 5.4kg Canadian lobster. He is between 50 and 60 years old and it seemed a shame for him to end up as someone’s dinner.

“As he has come from Canada, we can’t release him in the water here in East Mersea where we have native lobsters, so we had to find him a new home.”

They contacted local aquariums and Colchester Zoo, but no one had any room for Roger, who weighs about six times more than his British cousins.

The firm spread its nets a little wider and customer Les Stott, from Yorkshire, offered to take Roger up north if a home could be found for him there.

They were thrilled when Blackpool’s Sea Life centre came to the rescue and said they would take him.

Paul has grown quite fond of Roger and made sure he was comfortable ahead of the 300-mile trip.

He said: “When Roger arrived, we were taken aback at the size of him – he is much bigger than the lobsters we normally sell.

“We aren’t normally happy when orders are cancelled, but this is an exception and we are delighted with how this has all turned out.”

Blackpool Sea Life’s Scott Blacker said: “The team are looking forward to meeting him and we can give him a nice new home.”

Europe’s biggest ever lobster was caught in Cornwall in 1931. It weighed 20lb and measured just over 4ft.