A peculiar piece of a ship has washed up ashore at a local beach, as one eagle-eyed visitor spotted the float on the rocky sand.

Daily Echo Camera Club member Michael Buckley snapped a photo of a giant ship's fender on the beach in Portchester.

Made of what looks like normal car tyres, a fender is an air-filled device which is positioned to absorb the kinetic energy of a boat when berthing.

READ MORE: Oak tree blocks path in Riverside Park after falling in middle of the night

They are used on all types of boat, from cargo ships to personal yachts, with the size of the fender being proportionate to the size of the boat.

Boats can often bounce again jetties, walls or even other vessels when berthing, so fenders help to prevent damage by absorbing that energy.

Michael got a great picture of the colossal fender, where a person can be seen 'pulling it' to show scale.

One Facebook commenter joked to ask if the person tugging on it had taken it home, saying it would look 'nice' in their garden.