SEVERAL venomous sea creatures have washed up on west Dorset shores over the past week.

There have been a number of sightings of the Portuguese man o' war - both at Monmouth Beach in Lyme Regis and East Beach in West Bay.

The jellyfish-like creatures usually wash up on our shores during October and November. They can be found in groups of up to 1,000 and usually float in warm water.

It has venomous long blue tentacles with a sting intended to paralyse and kill fish and other small animals.

The Portuguese man o'war also has a pink inflatable bladder, but you will want to avoid touching them as in rare cases their sting can be extremely painful, even when they are stranded and dead.

Elaine and Roger Boswell, from Lyme Regis, were picking litter on Monmouth Beach last Friday when they came across the creature.

Mrs Boswell said: “Roger was walking over to pick up a bag when he spotted it, it was quite a surprise.

“Luckily, Roger had seen men o' war on the television so he knew what it was and we didn’t even think about touching it as they are obviously very dangerous.

“The rough sea had washed it up on the beach. It was sad to leave it there and I wish we could have popped it back in the sea but they are bad news and they could give you a nasty sting so you should probably stay away from them.

“Roger was a lot more interested in the litter picking after finding something a bit more interesting to take photographs of!"

If you come across one keep your distance and report it to Dorset Wildlife Trust.