A swarm of dead jellyfish have washed up on a Kent beach, a sight experts say could become more common as global temperatures rise.

The moon jellyfish and blue jellyfish lie scattered around Dymchurch beach.

Victoria Glover spotted the creatures while walking along the coast at 9.30pm last night.

She said: “As soon as we got on the beach they were everywhere, just not as close together.

“I was surprised to see so many. I had been there the day before and saw maybe five, mainly in the water so I knew they were around.”

Owen Leyshon, from Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership, says while the creatures are harmless, the sight is something we should be concerned about.

He said: “It’s a common phenomenon that can happen at certain times of the year and generally speaking it’s an indication of a warming sea.

“The sea temperatures are considerably high above average and what this does around the world is impact fish populations.

“As the temperatures warm, jellyfish populations do very well compared to other sea creatures.

“Trends like more jellyfish washing up on beaches are going to become more frequent and the numbers will become larger as the sea temperatures warm.

“So it’s an indicator that we should be concerned.”

As for the jellyfish themselves, Mr Leyshon says they are harmless and are not likely to sting.

“There are a number which give a mild sting, but they tend to be later in the summer and less frequent in number,” he said

“The ones that have washed up this time will be moon jellyfish and blue jellyfish and they are harmless.

“There is nothing you can do, you can’t throw them back, they are dead already.

“You need to worry more about the water quality from sewage than you do the jellyfish.”

Over the next few days the tide should wash the jellyfish back out to sea.

The seas around the UK and Ireland have seen some of the most intense temperature rises in the world according to the European Space Agency (ESA).

The BBC reports water temperatures are 3 to 4C above the average for this time of year according to analysis by the ESA and the Met Office.

Scientists say the reason for the rise can be put down to climate change.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “The Environment Agency has received notifications today that large numbers of jellyfish had been washed onto the beach at Dymchurch.

“Blue jelly fish are common and are regularly washed up on the coast when a period of settled weather is followed by a change of wind direction.

“We do not believe pollution to be a factor as this is a natural occurrence.

“We encourage members to report any dead or struggling fish or signs of pollution to our hotline 0800 807060.”