TESTS are being conducted on the body of a 25ft humpback whale washed up on the beach at Kingsdown, near Deal, with a large gash on its side.

Experts are trying to discover how the whale died. It was found on Thursday morning by passers-by who contacted a Sussex-based rescue team.

Trevor Weeks, from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue Team, told the BBC: "It is impossible to tell if the gash happened before or after it was washed up."

He said the animal could have been dead for several days. Samples of its blood have been taken for analysis.

Humpback whales are a protected species and Mr Weeks said it was very unusual to see one in the North Sea. "Their normal range is the North Atlantic," he added.

"The animal could have been confused and starved - a similar situation to the bottle-nosed whale stranded in the Thames."

The blood samples will be taken to the Institute of Zoology in London.