A POST-MORTEM examination was being carried out yesterday on a dead whale which was washed ashore on the North Yorkshire coast.

The eight-metre minke whale, believed to be female, was first spotted off the coast of Scarborough by the crew of a pleasure cruiser on Wednesday afternoon and eventually beached at Holbeck, in the south of the town.

The whale had died by the time it was washed ashore and it was due to be removed and disposed of yesterday after an examination was carried out.

RSPCA inspector and national wildlife co-ordinator Geoff Edmond said: “Minke whales becoming stranded are not common, but there have been a number of strandings around the UK and there are often reports of them being seen between three and six miles offshore at this time of year.

"The whale’s death could be due to a number of factors and the post-mortem will provide more information. It did not come ashore sick or injured – it had already died.”

Scarborough Borough Council, which was due to remove and dispose of the whale yesterday HM Coastguard and staff from Scarborough’s Sea Life Centre were also called in.