A 195-MILLION-YEAR-OLD dinosaur fossil found near Charmouth by a local collector is to be included in a special exhibition at Bristol City Museum.

The complete skeleton of a Scelidosaurus was first discovered by fossil hunter, David Sole, in December 2000 and is the most complete example of the species ever to have been found.

The first piece of the beast was found on the beach among material from a cliff fall, where lumps of bone were found encased in limestone.

Mr Sole later discovered other fragments of the animal, while some parts were discovered by other fossil hunters and pieced together to form the complete skeleton.

The bones were cleaned and the limestone removed by fossil expert David Costins, who runs the Old Forge Fossil Shop in Lyme Regis.

Mr Sole said: "It is a very exceptional specimen. First of all it is a dinosaur - a land animal which has become fossilised on the sea floor. Either it was washed away or died and the remains have fallen to the sea floor where they have been covered by the normal process.

"It seems to be a mature specimen that had two horns - specimens in the past have not had evidence of horns. It is also very heavily armour plated.

"It is a herbivorous dinosaur - a vegetable eater - with very well preserved stomach and gullet contents, which have yet to be examined."

Mr Sole, from Uplyme, has now been approached by Bristol City Museum to include the creature in a special display of Scelidosaurs, along with a smaller, incomplete specimen which he also found near Charmouth.

A third specimen, found in the mid-1990s to the east of Charmouth and now owned by the museum, will also form part of the exhibition. This specimen has a section of skin attached, resembling snake's skin.

"This will be worth going to see," said Mr Sole.

The dinosaur is thought to have been unique to the area, with six of its kind discovered in the area since the first was found in about 1850.

Mr Sole said: "Examples of Scelidosaurus have only ever occurred within half a mile of Charmouth. One or two other bones are thought to have been found elsewhere but it makes it very special to this area."

A cast of the Scelidosaurus - made by Mr Costins - can be seen at the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre.