People have been warned to keep away from a dead whale which has washed up on a shoreline.

Maryport Coastguard Rescue Team said it was called to Flimby beach where a juvenile northern bottlenose whale was found on Saturday, after Storm Austen and Storm Boelo battered the UK.

Northern bottlenose whales are most commonly found in the North Atlantic Ocean, where they can dive to more than 1,400m (4,593ft) deep and stay submerged for up to two hours, according to the charity Whale and Dolphin Conservation.

The Coastguard urged people to not touch the carcass as it "may have toxins that can pass to humans" and advised people to take care as Storm Boelo was "still going strong".

The Coastguard asked people to report any sightings of stranded whales as soon as possible, even if they might be dead, to keep clear from the mammal and to wait for help.

"Gathering round the animal will intensify their distress, and it is possible for disease to be passed to humans," it added.

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