The skull of a colossal sea monster has been extracted from Dorset’s Jurassic Coast

The fossil, almost 7ft long, belongs to a Pliosaur, one of the most ferocious reptile predators that hunted in the Kimmeridge sea about 150 million years ago.

The giant skull with a staggering 130 teeth was found by chance when fossil enthusiast Phil Jacobs was taking a stroll along a beach near Kimmeridge Bay. Too heavy to carry, he had to get friend and local palaeontologist Steve Etches to help carry the fossil to safety.

"It's one of the best fossils I've ever worked on. What makes it unique is it's complete," Etches tells BBC News.

It is believed that the rest of the sea creature is still in the Dorset cliffs but it’s too dangerous to excavate. It is estimated to be up to 39 feet long.

The skull will be featured in a special David Attenborough programme on BBC One on New Year's Day.

Photo credit: BBC / Tony Joliffe