READER Richard Dodds joined the crowds who have braved bitter weather to take a look at a dead whale which washed up on Old Hunstanton beach.

The body of the sperm whale, washed-up close to the cliff-top car park at the Norfolk beach, has proved to be a ghoulish tourist attraction over the Christmas holidays.

Although believed to have been dead for some time and decomposing, visitors remain keen to have their photo taken with the dead whale - which washed up on Christmas Eve.

Mr Dodds said: “I went to Hunstanton yesterday to see the huge dead whale.

“There were a lot of people there, it was very windy, and it smelt really bad.”

Whales are occasionally found dead on beaches around The Wash and it is thought the sperm whale had died at sea before being washed-up with a large gash running along its belly.

Scientists from the Zoological Society have already taken samples from the animal.

It is believed that the remains will have to be removed from the beach as the body is now too high up to be washed back into the sea by the current tides.

It cannot be buried where it is and will probably be taken to a landfill site by contractors.

Mr Geoff Needham, spokesman for the RNLI, said he had seen coaches arrive over the last few days with people wanting to see the animal.

He said: “I suppose we are used to it, but for a lot of people it is the only chance they will have to see a whale so there has been a lot of interest in it.”