One of two stranded whales dies

The whales are 18ft (5.5m) long northern bottlenose whales

A female whale stranded off the Lincolnshire coast has died.

Rescue teams went to the area and used floating pontoons to try to re-float her surviving male partner on a late high tide.

The exact location of the incident is being kept secret as crowds may hamper the rescue.

The whales are 18ft (5.5m) long northern bottlenose whales, the same species as became trapped in the Thames earlier this year.

Big challenge

Bob Archell, from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said: "It is always a race against time when this sort of thing happens.

"Whales are not designed to be on dry land so it is often touch and go as to whether they can be saved but rest assured we will do everything we can."

Duncan Yeadon, from Nature land Seal Sanctuary, which was first on the scene, said: "We are more used to dealing with seals and porpoises.

"All we can do is keep the whale upright and wet but there is no way we can manhandle it back into the sea, so we feel a little helpless."