THE skeleton of a 190-million-year-old plesiosaur has been found on Lyme Regis beach.

THE skeleton of a 190-million-year-old plesiosaur has been found on Lyme Regis beach.

The partial fossil remains were found by local geologist Paddy Howe, who has been finding parts of the two-metre creature bit by bit since February this year.

The rare fossils are now on display in the geology gallery at Lyme Regis Museum, where Mr Howe works.

He said: "The very first plesiosaur was found by Mary Anning in Lyme, but his discovery is really exciting.

"There has only been one plesiosaur to, say, 50 ichthysaurs found on the Jurassic Coast, and the fused neck bones in this one give us a reason to investigate if further.