Dog walkers have been left slightly bemused after jellyfish "the size of dustbin lids" washed up on the beach.

Walkers have reported seeing the huge blue squidgy creatures at the beach in Dymchurch and at Greatstone.

Some have described them as “gross” while others have said they are the size of a small dog.

Mum Kirsty Carswell was walking along the beach at Dymchurch and says she spotted up to ten of the creatures.

She said: “At first I didn’t know what they were, they looked like shiny rocks. I was intrigued and had my five-year-old son with me who wanted to know what they were.

“When I got up close they were massive. I’ve seen them before, but nothing like as big as this.”

But wildlife expert Owen Leyshon from the Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership said there is nothing to be afraid of as they are harmless.

He said: “They are big, sometime enormous and they’re called barrel jellyfish, and they can be the size of a dustbin lid.

“They come from the south west approaches to Britain and are predominantly found in the early part of summer off the coast of Cornwall.

“When we get westerly winds they are washed up the Channel to our beaches here in Kent, usually in the autumn.

“They are the largest of the jellyfish off the shores of our country, but they are not stingers. In fact they are pretty harmless. There are other species that can give a mild sting, but not these ones.

“There are no human health issues with them, so there is no need for safety advice.”

Mr Leyshon and others have been snapping pictures of the creature as it has washed up on the beach this week.

He added: “They are quite impressive, and in this part of the country we don’t get to see them quite as often compared to beaches in Cornwall where you can see them in their hundreds and hundreds.

“Sadly it is pointless trying to put them back into the sea, they have perished. Their life is to drift on ocean currents, but the species doesn’t survive.They are part of the marine eco-system.”

To find out more about the Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership visit www.rmcp.co.uk.