A "baby" shark has washed up on the shores of a beach near Southampton and the New Forest.

Chloe Lucas said she was just walking across Lepe beach, situated on the edge of the forest, when she saw the finned animal lying on the sand and stones.

The Ocean Conservation Trust's curator told the Echo that he believes it to be a smoothhound shark, which can grow up to four-foot long and weigh as heavy as 25 pounds.

"We were just walking along Lepe Beach and I saw it on the shore," Chloe told the Echo.

"It’s been eaten, a lot of it. But the shell of it, it definitely looks like a baby shark.

"We were shocked. I’ve never seen anything like it before, that’s why I took loads of pictures of it."

The smoothhound is a small shark species, with a large first fin and a second smaller one located further back on its body.

According to British Sea Fishing, its diet is made up "primarily of crustaceans, shellfish and molluscs", only eating fish occasionally.

Fishmag also said that the sharks have unexpectedly shaped teeth, which look more like "crushing plates" used to break down shells rather than sharp canines.

Smoothhounds have fill gill slits on either side with a notched tail and a pale underbelly.