Killer whale found dead with plastic in its stomach on Lincolnshire beach

The body of one of nature's most dangerous predators has been found washed up on a Lincolnshire beach.

The carcass of a juvenile killer whale has been found in The Wash near RAF Holbeach.

Upon examining its 15-foot long body, researchers from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) made a troubling discovery - a large piece of plastic in one of its stomachs.

The plastic is not thought to have caused the death of the cetacean - which experts believe died weeks ago - although researchers say the findings made in the first orca stranding in England and Wales since 2001 are not a good sign.

Killer whales are known to swim in UK waters, although their numbers have dwindled in recent years, with research suggesting there are fewer than 10 of their number still living around the British Isles.

Experts say a plastic called PCB in the food chain is causing a host of issues with the creatures, with orcas that have even low levels present in their bodies showing signs of infertility.

It is predicted the species as a whole could disappear from some heavily polluted areas - including the UK - within decades.

In order to determine how the creature died and what its final movements might have been, researchers from the ZSL collected samples from the body - including from its liver, kidney and blubber.

Speaking to the MailOnline, researcher Rob Deaville, said the "really unusual stranding" was the first of its kind in the country for nearly 20 years.

"The last one I went to was in 2001 in the Mersey Estuary," he said.

"Killer whales are a priority species for us as, because they are apex predators - they absorb a huge amount of marine pollutants, particularly PCBs," Mr Deaville said.

"Even in this decomposed condition it will potentially tell us an awful lot about the population out there."