MANY people living along Kent's south-east coast feared a beloved dolphin was dead after a carcass was found washed up on a beach - but it wasn’t the famous Dave.

Dave the dolphin has been gracing the shores of Folkestone and Hythe for the past 18 months and entertaining visitors and locals with his ducking an diving, usually at his favourite spot near a rock groyne in Seabrook.

However Dave, who is actually female, hasn’t been seen for six weeks - the longest period she has vanished from view since her arrival in the district.

When the body was found at Lydd-on-Sea everyone feared the worst.

Jenny Rimmel, of Lydd, contacted the Folkestone Express after stumbling across the body while out walking on Tuesday.

The newspaper sent a photographer out and then sent its pictures to British Divers Marine Life Rescue.

Jason Carter, of BDMLR, who has been keeping a close eye on Dave, confirmed it wasn’t the much-loved dolphin after seeing the photographs this morning. He said it was too small to be Dave and was a harbour porpoise.

Mr Carter believes the dolphin was caught by fishermen. He added: "By the looks of the picture it’s bycatch. The hole in the side is where the fishermen have lunge hooked it to pull it from nets, sometimes the tail is cut off.

"The pectoral fins have been cut off. The injury on the jaw is more likely to be after the catch has been thrown back into the sea, the scratches on its side and small holes are from seagulls."