Why have thousands of dead fish washed up on Cornwall beach?

Thousands of dead fish have washed up on a beach in Cornwall, leaving experts scratching their heads as to why.

Dog walker Edward Bol came across the grim scene at Pentewan Sands on Sunday morning after the fish washed up on Saturday night.

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He believed they were mainly herring with some mackerel and sardines in there too.

The Metro reports that seagulls have been feasting on the fish, leaving the beach also covered in bird poo.

Experts have described the event as unusual but have pointed to windy weather in the area as being a factor.

Speaking to the BBC, James Wright, curator of the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, said: "It's quite unusual for fish to want to leave the water, it's usually a result of panic, because of a predator, but at this time of year that would be unusual."

He added: "It is possible they were all caught in particularly bad weather when they were near the surface and washed up by the waves."

Back in July, thousands of jellyfish washed up on Perranporth beach in Cornwall, just says after a sperm whale died at the same spot.

Marine experts said they were being brought in from the Atlantic by onshore wind.

Back in 2014, hundreds of tiny, dead whitebait were found washed up at Mullion Harbour on the Lizard, and the same phenomenon had been reported all along the south coast as far as Dorset.

The Plymouth Herald reports that the fish were likely driven into shore after they were chased by predators – in that case mackerel.