The coastguard were called to a report of a "whale" off the coast of Folkestone yesterday.

Volunteers from Folkestone Coastguard received a call from a member of the public about a beached whale off Copt Point at 1.20pm.

After investigating the area, the crew could only find bubbles coming from a sewage pipe - which might have been mistaken for a whale's blowhole.

An HM Coastguard spokesman said: "We had a report of a possible whale washed ashore.

"We sent the Folkestone team to investigate, but it turned out to be bubbles coming from a sewage outfall pipe."

British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) were also contacted, but were not called into action.

BDMLR area co-ordinator Lynn Griffiths said: "One of the guys at the coastguard said there might be a whale but there were just bubbles coming from an outlet.

"We have lots of strange reports that turn out to be nothing."