North Yorkshire Council: 'too dangerous' to move dead whale washed up on Whitby beach

A council says a dead whale which was found washed up on a beach in Whitby will not be moved because it is too dangerous for teams to access it.

The animal was found by a walker at Saltwick Bay on Wednesday evening.

North Yorkshire Council say coastal engineers were made aware of the whale but that it will not be moved because of the inaccessibility of where it has ended up.

Head of Harbours and Coastal Infrastructure, Chris Bourne, said: "We always look to remove animal remains when they wash up on our shore. However, on this occasion the area is inaccessible and would prove too dangerous for our team and their equipment.

"Having been in touch with the RSPCA, the body is so badly decomposed, moving it is not an option."

It is thought the animal, which is around 5m long, is a minke whale.

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