BRAUNTON police rushed to Croyde beach on Tuesday, after a member of the public reported a carcass had been washed up — and she thought it could be the Beast of Exmoor.

Sgt Jeff Pearce and PC Chris Tucker of Braunton police, were frantically searching the rocks off of Down End Point as the sun set on Tuesday, following a report from a member of the public, that a carcass of an animal "the size of a calf with canine teeth" had been spotted.

It took the officers about half an hour to locate the dead animal, which was eventually found well away from the main beach on the rocks.

As he was searching the rocks in freezing temperatures Sgt Pearce said: "We've been told it looks like a big black cat, but we're not sure if we've been sent on a wild beast chase."

But almost as soon as he had said it, PC Tucker found the animal, and alerted Sgt Pearce over the radio.

When the officers got to the carcass, which was quite badly decomposed, they both studied it and commented on its size.

PC Tucker said: "It's a good five feet long, and it's got black fur. It certainly looks quite beastlike with those teeth."

Sgt Pearce said: "It almost definitely looks like it could be a beast of Exmoor."

He added: "It's only about five miles away to Exmoor by sea, it could easily have floated down."

The officers then contacted Environmental Health and RUDA Holiday Park, which is owned by Parkdean Holidays which also owns the beach, as well as the RSPCA.

PC Tucker said: "We can't really do any more. It's getting dark and we can't exactly put it in the car."

Sgt Pearce said: "To us it's just another carcass on the beach.

We can't really do any more tonight as it's dangerous and icy on the rocks, and it's past the high tide mark so it won't be going anywhere."

But later that night Sgt Pearce said: "We've been doing some internet research and we think judging by the teeth it might be a sea lion."

At the time of going to press an official identification of the animal had yet to be carried out.