Dead minke whale on Norfolk beach to be removed

The body of the juvenile minke whale washed ashore on a beach near Bacton on Wednesday

A dead minke whale that washed up on the Norfolk coast is set to be removed by council workers.

The body of the juvenile whale washed ashore on a beach near Bacton on Wednesday.

North Norfolk District Council said it was looking at how to remove the whale, which is beneath the Bacton Gas Terminal site.

The council said its environmental services team hoped to remove the whale "when the tide allows".

A spokeswoman said: "The location of the whale beneath the Bacton Gas Terminal site has caused some difficulty in terms of access, but working with local contractor Renosteel, the teams will be able to use specialist equipment which will be drafted in to bring an end to this sad situation."

Minke whales have a worldwide distribution, travelling vast distances and are the most common cetacean seen around the UK. They can grow up to 10m (33ft) long.

Wildlife officers for marine conservation group ORCA who regularly survey the North Sea saw a total of 39 minke whales in the sea between Britain and the Netherlands from March to September this year.