Dozens of foragers have been fined more than £2,000 after police cracked down on illegal mushroom picking.

A total 27 people were slapped with an £80 fine, with some carrying more than 11lbs (5kg) of mushrooms away from Epping Forest in Essex.

Foraging has become popular among foodies, including celebrity chef Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall.

In Britain foraging on public land can only be done for personal consumption, with a limit of around 3.5lbs (1.7kg).

Unlike people who forage for conservation and environmental reasons, illegal mushroom pickers do so to sell them to restaurants and markets, police said.

Over the last 12 months, £2,160 worth of fines have been issued to illegal foragers by the City of London Corporation, which protects Epping Forest.

Taking the mushrooms from wild areas deprives animals such as deer from valuable food and removing a resource which many rare insects depend on.

They are also vital to the health of the site’s ancient trees, some of which are up to 1,000 years old, as particular species protect their roots, and provide them with water and vital minerals.

Fungi are protected under Epping Forest bylaws and their large-scale removal damages its ecology. Many of its wild mushroom species are of national importance.

A further 27 people have been prosecuted in court since 2014, with Epping Forest Keepers also often issuing verbal warnings.

Among these prosecutions was a 49kg bag of fungi picked and confiscated from the beauty spot.

Graeme Doshi-Smith, chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Epping Forest and Commons Committee, said: “Fungi play an incredibly important role in the delicate balance of biodiversity which makes Epping Forest special.

“Stripping the ancient woodland of mushrooms damages its wildlife and threatens rare species.

“And many varieties are dangerous for human consumption and can indeed be fatal.

“We welcome the millions of people who come to enjoy this protected site. But I urge visitors to leave the fungi how they find them – untouched.”

Epping Forest is London and Essex’s largest green space and is managed as a registered charity by the City of London Corporation.