Severe gales dredge up starfish

The starfish could clearly be seen amongst the stones on Hove beach

Hundreds of dead starfish were washed up on a Sussex beach over the weekend during the stormy weather.

They appeared on the shore at Hove, as parts of southern Britain faced the year's worst storm.

The Environment Agency said the most likely cause was the gales, which would have affected the sea's currents and dislodged the starfish from the seabed.

A spokeswoman said it was a "naturally occurring phenomenon" and the starfish population would recover very quickly.