Fifth sperm whale found dead on British beach

A fifth sperm whale has been found washed up on a British beach, only a few miles from where four others were discovered at the weekend.

According to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency the whale was discovered near Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, which is located just south of Skegness where three of the other four stranded marine mammals were discovered.

The latest discovery follows the death of a beached whale in Hunstanton, Norfolk, on Friday and the discovery of three carcasses near the resort of Skegness over the weekend.

Although it is not yet known what led to the 48ft mammals becoming stranded on Britain's north-east coastline it is thought that the five whales could all be from the same pod as a group of the marine mammals had reportedly been spotted off the Norfolk coast prior to the deaths.

Richard Johnson, of the UK Coastguard, said on Sunday that it was believed the three whales discovered at Skegness had "died at sea and then washed ashore" and the Zoological Society confirmed evidence suggested at least one of the animals had not eaten in a while.

Plans to remove the carcasses from the beaches where they washed up are being developed, but it could be a few days until this is possible because formal consent needs to be granted.

Post mortem examinations will be carried out on the whales to find out how they died.