A stunned resident has come across part of what is believed to be a whale's skull.

Hannah Summerfield found the remains as she was walking along Walmer beach on Tuesday.

She told KentOnline: "I just stumbled upon it.

"I was in awe as the find was so significant. It had obviously been there for a long time, maybe a week, as it had sand, sea shells and moss on it.

"I knew immediately it was from a large marine mammal and later a friend on Facebook, who studied marine biology, said it was a whale, probably a minke whale."

Miss Summerfield, 35, of Deal, had been for a walk with her boyfriend Justine Vingoe at the time.

She photographed the bones and fragments, which had been gathered inside a large plastic tray, but left everything in place.

She said a green tarpaulin was there, which she believes had been covering it but had been blown off by the wind.

Miss Summerfield contacted authorities needing to be informed in such situations, such as Kent County Council.

A spokesman for the Government's Marine Management Organisation said: "In general, there are restrictions on removal of carcasses.

"Normally any removal or clean up responsibilities or permissions are for the local authority so anyone finding parts of marine mammals should contact their local council.

" It’s unlawful for members of the public to remove any part of a marine mammal carcass and of course doing so could also pose a health risk to them."

Whales have been found off Kent before.

Last November pictures appeared to show a whale on the English Channel off St Margaret's Bay near Dover. The creature seemed to be heading towards Ramsgate.

Just last month a minke whale had been seen swimming inside Dover Harbour, the second such sighting off the Kent coast in a week.

In autumn 2018 a beluga whale nicknamed Benny swam around the Gravesend area of the River Thames for months as there was plenty of food available in the waters.

In October 2019 a humpback whale christened by locals as Hessy was seen on the Thames near Dartford but was killed with a collision with a ship a few days later.

KentOnline has contacted Kent County Council for a comment on the latest finding at Walmer.

Miss Summerfield's pictured appeared on the Facebook page Thanet and Sandwich Coastal Finds and KentOnline has passed the images the Zoological Society of London to fully identify the remains.