There were fears it might have been the famous Dave the Dolphin but the carcass washed up on the beach at Sandwich Bay on Monday was that of a porpoise.

Trevor Weeks, a national co-ordinator with the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said: "It turned out to be the body of a dead Harbour Porpoise, which is fairly common around this part of the UK."

Dave - who is actually female - has not been seen since November last year after suffering a severe injury to her tail, thought to have been caused by fishing line or a boat propeller.

Mr Weeks added: "I think there have been six dead porpoises found along the Kent coast since Dave's disappearance."

Earlier this year, the body of a small dolphin washed up on the beach at Lydd, but BDMLR confirmed it was not Dave.

Dave entertained visitors to Shepway with her ducking and diving for around 18 months and was usually seen near a rock groyne in Seabrook. She was a major tourist attraction around Folkestone and Hythe.