How big is a great white shark, what’s the largest one, are they in the UK and how dangerous are they really?

GREAT white sharks are known for being the most terrifying species to roam the seas – made infamous by classic horror flick Jaws.

But are they lurking in British waters and how often do they attack? Here's what you need to know.

What's the largest ever great white shark to be recorded?

On average, female great whites are 4.6 to 4.9m long, although the male sharks don't grow as big, measuring up at around 3.4 to 4.0m.

Alf Dean caught the largest great white recorded by the International Game Fish Association in the south Australian waters in 1959.

The sea predator weighed a staggering 1,208 kg (2,663 lb).

It's believed that anglers have since caught bigger sharks, but these have not been officially confirmed.

How fast can the great white shark swim?

The powerful oceanic beast can reach speeds of around 25 miles per hour.

To put this in perspective, it's around 20 miles quicker than world-record setting times for human swimmers.

If that didn't make the great white a difficult enough opponent, the shark also has the ability to propel themselves more than three metres into the air.

How rare are shark attacks and how dangerous is the great white?

Every year, around 70 shark attacks are reported worldwide – and only a fraction of these are fatal.

Given that there are more than 480 different species, this is a relatively small number.

Only three sharks are considered to carry out unprovoked attacks on humans: the great white, tiger shark and bull shark.