163 million year old predator dug up in Wiltshire

A sea crocodile dubbed the 'Melksham Monster' was terrorising the shallow waters off Britain 163 million years ago, according to scientists.

The apex predator, with powerful jaws and huge, razor-sharp teeth roamed the prehistoric ocean around Britain in the Jurassic era.

The beast, dug up in Wiltshire, was 10 feet long from snout to tail and inhabited the warm, shallow waters that covered the country at that time.

It was one of the most terrifying marine reptiles that lived as it swam over a seabed rich in corals and a wide range of shellfish.

The newly discovered species - dubbed the 'Melksham Monster' after the quiet market town where it was discovered - was the "apex predator of its time.

Its big jaws and long, serrated teeth would have allowed it to hunt down large prey such as primitive squid in waters of south England.

The animal sheds fresh light on the origins of the distant relatives of modern crocodiles.

Fossils of its skull, teeth and bones were encased in rock so hard it had to be removed with carbon steel tipped chisels and grinding wheels encrusted with industrial diamonds.