‘Great white shark’ spotted off coast of Britain just yards from popular tourist beach

A "GREAT white shark" is thought to have been spotted lurking off the coast of Britain - just yards from a popular tourist beach.

An experienced shark fisherman said the creature seen near the beach at Goring-by-Sea in West Sussex was "obviously a shark" and it could be a "small, immature great white" searching for food.

Local James Venn, 42, spotted a distinctive triangular fin in the water last Friday.

The web designer said the terrifying animal was just 30 yards from the shore when it surfaced.

Mr Venn initially thought the object was a seal - but he realised it was in fact a fin when he looked back at his photos of the creature.

He quickly sent off the images to experienced shark fisherman Graeme Pullen - who said it was "an undisputed shark".

And due to the size and distinctive triangular shape of the dorsal fin, the expert said it could only be mako or a small great white shark.

But he ruled out it being a mako due to the cold temperature of the water.

Mr Pullen, 70, believes it could be a great white which came close to the shore to feed on seals and bass.

The shark fin was caught on camera just 30 miles away from another credible sighting of a great white off Hayling Island in Hampshire in 2017.

If it is proven to be a great white, it would be the first time one has ever been seen in UK waters.

Mr Venn, from Goring, saw the apparent shark lurking where a man had just been surfing.

He said: "I went down to the beach to feed the birds when I saw something come up just behind the waves.

"I couldn't make out what it was so I followed it along the shore.

"It then surfaced so I ran to grab my camera and looked out to try and see it again before taking the photos.

"At the time I thought it was a seal but when I looked at the photos again I thought it doesn't look like a seal so it was something else.

"I sent it to someone who looks at sharks in British waters.

"I'm still 50/50 about whether it's a shark or seal but I'm not an expert so it would be interesting to see what they think."

A great white shark can grow to 20ft in length and weigh 5,000lbs - and they can live for 70 years.

'OBVIOUSLY A SHARK'

They are also responsible for more human attacks than any other shark species.

Mr Pullen, who has caught hundreds of species of shark off Britain during a 45-year career, said the shark could be living in the Chichester and Langstone Harbours area where commercial fishing is banned.

Since a shark can travel up to 70 miles a day, it could easily roam the area from Worthing to Southsea in Hampshire.

He said: "Analysing the photo it is obviously a shark - this can't be disputed.

"I've always thought there was a shark there as there have been so many sightings by fishermen, but James has managed to photograph the fin.

"I am sceptical about it being a mako as I don't know of them eating seals.

"It can only be a small, immature great white who was looking for seals or bass to eat as they are more likely to come in close (to land) to feed.

"There is an area around Langstone and Chicester where no commercial fishing is allowed so it could be living there.

"A shark can travel at at least 3mph and is in constant motion so it could cover 70 miles in a day, going from Southsea to Worthing and back.

"A great white could comfortably live permanently in these waters."