Whale's body washed up on beach

Experts said it was impossible to tell how long the animal had been dead

Marine life experts have been called out after a dead whale was found washed up on the beach in East Sussex.

The 19.7ft (6m) animal is "very decomposed" and it is impossible to say how long it has been dead, said British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR).

Spokesman Trevor Weeks said it was believed it was a deep-diving baleen whale but BDMLR could not identify the species because of its poor condition.

The whale is at the Sovereign Leisure Centre end of Eastbourne seafront.

"It is not uncommon for cetaceans like common dolphins and bottlenose dolphins to frequent the English Channel this far up on the Sussex coastline," said Mr Weeks.

"It is possible this whale died hundreds of miles away and that the body has been washed along with the tide."

The incident has been reported to the Natural History Museum in London.