Reports have been made of dangerous Portuguese Man O'War "jellyfish" washing up in UK, including Milford on Sea.
It appears that beaches across the South coast are being invaded by the biggest concentration of deadly jellyfish in 15 years following hurricanes and extreme weather conditions.
Pockets numbering in their hundreds were reported initially on beaches across Cornwall with further instances in Dorset, Devon and Wales and sightings still occurring regularly as far east as Milford on Sea in Hampshire.
Swimmers off the South coast are being advised to wear full body suits to protect themselves, while parents taking children to the beach have been warned to exercise "extreme caution".
The fish, which have tentacles which can deliver painful and even fatal stings, appear like deflated balloons on sand and in shallow water.
Portuguese man-of-war, usually found in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, have purple tentacles which can reach up to fifty meters below the ocean's surface.
According to the Marine Conservation Society, this year the number reported by members of the public since early September are in excess of 2000, eclipsing the annual average which ranges from 1000 to 1500.
The Marine Conservation Society encourages members of the public to continue reporting any sightings via their website at www.mcsuk.org
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