Shark lands at Camber Sands

The shark, a juvenile, though still four - five foot long, has been known to attack and kill swimmers, though this is rare,

It was discovered in the surf by dog-walker Nikki Lambert who said: “I could not quite believe it at first until I got a little closer. I have encountered drift-wood washed up but not a shark.”

Nikki took a picture of the shark and local fishermen believed it was a Porbeagle Shark but a marine scientist later identified it as a rare Blue Shark.

The Blue is a deep water shark that has severely declined in UK waters since the 1970s.

To add to the mystery the shark had a large bite taken out of its side. Nikki said: “I was told that the only animals who would attack a Blue Shark like this would be a Great White Shark or a Killer Whale.”

Doug Herdson, of the Marine Fish Information Services, said: “A blue shark of this size is a juvenile which should be on its way to SW Spain or NW Africa at this time of year.

“Females and juveniles turn up off SW England from July to September, numbers varying from year to year, but a lot less now than in the 60s. They are rare elsewhere in Britain and in the winter; but surprisingly there was a very small one, of about three ft, found on a beach at Joss Bay in Kent in December 2006.”