Denbighshire: Dozens of dead sharks on Prestatyn beach

The sharks have been identified as starry smooth-hounds, also known as gummy sharks, due to their lack of sharp teeth

Dozens of small sharks have been spotted washed up on a Denbighshire beach.

They have been identified as starry smooth-hounds, or gummy sharks - due to their lack of sharp teeth.

Passers-by spotted 25 to 30 of the sharks on the Prestatyn beach on Tuesday before posting images to social media.

Marine expert Gem Simmons said she had tried to take samples, but the sharks had "fallen prey to herring gulls".

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The small sharks, which are widespread in UK waters, mainly feed on crustaceans and shellfish.

Ms Simmons, of British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said she and the organisation Marine Environmental Monitoring had been attempting to work out how they had washed up.

The small sharks are widespread in UK waters

"What we wanted was to take samples of the gills, to see if this has happened as a result of by-catch (in fishing nets)," she said.

She added that there had been a few reports of illegal fishing in the area over the past few months, but it was unclear if there was any connection with the beached sharks.

"To find one or two is normal, but so many is worrying," she added, but said it wasn't possible to reach a conclusion yet as to why the sharks washed up.

She is now trying to collate data after reports of other washed up sharks in smaller numbers, along the stretch of coast between Rhyl and Talacre.

Natural Resources Wales and Project Siarc have also been made aware, she said.