DAVE the dolphin has been injured, it has been revealed.

The dolphin, who has been living near to the coastline between Folkestone and Hythe for more than a year, has been hit by boat propellers.

He has deep cuts on his fin and experts fear these could become infected. If they do, he could die.

Dave, whom it was recently discovered is female, has become used to human contact and is not frightened of boats and swims up to them when his instincts should tell him to stay away.

Jason Carter, of British Divers Marine Life Rescue, has for many months been asking people not to approach Dave as becoming humanised is not in his best interests - but warnings have been ignored.

Mr Carter said: "Unfortunately as people have been and are continuing to interact with her she is going to be open to more injuries, being either intentional or unintentional.

"Injuries such as this are open to become infected by people interacting and touching and people need to be aware that these infections on her can be passed back to humans as well and as these are not human infections then people can potentially become very ill.

"With children being put on her back and so on, it will be easy to cause even more injury to open injuries or risk of infection."

Last weekend Kent Police were out in force at Seabrook asking people to leave the dolphin alone - without much success.

Despite there being officers on a dinghy in the sea and others on the shore, children and adults still approached the dolphin, touched it, held onto its fin and tried to swim with it.