'Biggest ever' thresher shark caught off Welsh coast

An amazed angler landed the catch of a lifetime off the Welsh coast - a shark weighing more than 19 stone.

David Thomas, 40, took five hours to reel in the giant 12ft thresher shark with the help of five fishing mates to help him pull it aboard.

The building worker made his catch of the shark off the coast of Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire.

David, of Bridgend, needed help from his five mates to pull on-board the 271lb thresher shark - the biggest ever caught in Welsh waters.

The six friend took it in turns to reel the shark in as it did its best to escape around 17 miles from shore on Sunday's fishing trip.

David was on a sharking trip with Cardiff-based Phatcat Charters and it is believed to be only the second thresher ever caught off Wales.

The first was caught just three days earlier, 18 pounds lighter, on another of Phatcat's 11-hour trips.

Thresher sharks are found in all temperate and tropical oceans of the world - and are usually solitary creatures who keep themselves to themselves.

The catch was allowed to swim off after recording the find.