Shark mauls swimmer’s leg at Brit holiday hotspot as three top beaches shut down

A SHARK mauled a swimmer’s leg at a British holiday hotspot.

Spain was then forced to shut down three of its top beaches during a hunt for the beast.

The victim was swimming in the calm waters along Valencia’s coast before the predator attacked.

The man was enjoying a dip on the Aigua Blanca beach in Oliva when he noticed a lurking shadow.

He was located close to the shore with the water only reaching up to his knees in depth while being surrounded by dozens of other bathers on Thursday.

But nothing could have prepared him for what was about to happen as the shadow edged closer.

“I noticed a blow to my left leg and then a bite to my right foot,” he told .

“I didn’t have time to get scared. Noticing that blood was coming out of me, I went into the sea so as not to alarm everyone,” he added.

After the initial shock regarding the gash on his leg and foot, he recalled “very calmly and discreetly” making his way out of the water to find medical aid.

He went to the nearest health post where he was referred to the Oliva Health Center due to the severity of the injury.

Medical professionals treated the shark bite wound on his foot and gave him a tetanus shot as they weren’t able to stitch up his gashes since it was caused by a living creature and could become infected.

The doctors took photos of the teeth marks on his flesh and confirmed that he had been bitten by a blue shark.

The Oliva City Council immediately ordered a bathing ban on the beach of Aigua Blanca.

Surveillance was also stepped up in Rabdells, and Aigua Morta since the animal was also sighted in these areas.

Since then, the entire coastline of Oliva has been controlled until it was confirmed this morning that the shark was no longer in the area.

“There have been raids and surveillance continues and the Oliva coast is free, so it has returned to normal,” explained the Councilor for Beaches, Salvador Llopis.

The Oceanographic Institute said it was rare that this species of Mediterranean shark made it to the coast as they prefer colder and deeper waters.

According to the blue sharks can grow up to nine feet in length and can weigh up to 259lbs.

This horror incident comes after a brutal shark attack on a 65-year-old woman in shallow waters sparked closures of several US beaches.

A 50-year-old was also mauled by a shark in New York earlier this month in front of shocked onlookers.

And a popular Majorca beach was evacuated after a blue shark was spotted prowling near the shore.