'Disease risk' as dead dolphin washes up on Fistral Beach in Newquay

A dead dolphin has washed up on a popular Cornish beach.

It is believed to be a striped dolphin and was discovered by beachgoers at Fistral Beach in Newquay on Monday 11 December.

The animal was tagged by volunteers from the Cornwall Wildlife Trust's Marine Strandings Network ahead of being removed and disposed of.

A biopsy will be carried out to determine the cause of its death.

A 16-metre fin whale, the second largest species of cetaceans on the planet after blue whales, also washed on the popular surfing beach around a month ago.

It prompted a police cordon to be set while Marine Strandings Network volunteers and university biologists examined the animal.

It was later cut up for organ samples to be taken before being disposed of by Cornwall Council.

Ruth Williams, Marine Conservation Manager at the trust, said it is sadly not uncommon for animals to wash up on beaches around Cornwall at this time of the year.

Ms Williams added: "If there is a tag on a stranded animal then it means it has already been reported to us and recorded by a trained volunteer.

"We tag the animals so we don’t double count them if they wash out and then back in again.

"It is the landowners responsibility to dispose of any stranded animals as they deem appropriate and in many cases this means animals may be left on the beach and wash out on the next high tide.

"We are getting a lot of animals stranded on Cornish beaches which is sadly usual for this time of year."

She urged people to report any strandings to their hotline on 0345 2012626.