A dead whale which was found washed up on a beach next to the River Thames has now been recovered.

Sad new images show it today being taken to a barge by the Port of London Authority boat Driftwood2 off Gravesend Promenade.

The aquatic giant was discovered by marine teams on Wednesday.

However it wasn’t seen by the public until a dog walker and his son spotted it in a remote part of Cliffe, on the Hoo Peninsula, on Thursday morning.

The animal has since been confirmed as a juvenile female fin species, having initially been believed to be a Minke whale.

A spokesman for the Port of London Authority (PLA) said this afternoon: “Thanks to favourable weather and tidal conditions, our Marine Services team were able to remove the whale from the foreshore earlier today.

“It’s been taken to a safe location for collection by a specialist team.”

Jack Theed, who came across the whale on Thursday, told KentOnline: “It was just absolutely massive.

"I've lived in Cliffe for 23 years and never seen anything like this before.

"The bit I walked around isn't somewhere a lot of people go.

"I would guess it’s about 30ft, but it's hard to gauge of course."

Speaking yesterday, the PLA confirmed efforts to remove the whale were hampered by recent poor weather.

“Recovery efforts have been hampered by Storm Gerrit, the mudflats along the rocky foreshore and limited road access at the site.

"The removal of a buoy also set back our ability to remove the whale on Friday.”