Multiple pigs' heads found washed up on beach

Curtis Lancaster
BBC News, South of England
Mat Riches Two pigs heads on the beach circled in the image on the sandMat Riches
Mat Riches made the discovery while walking his dog

A beachgoer has said he was "disgusted" to find multiple pigs' heads washed up on the shore during his morning walk.

Mat Riches, from the Isle of Wight, said he was strolling along Gurnard Marshes, near Cowes, when he found about five heads.

He used surgical gloves to bag them up and said he was "praying it's not voodoo stuff or an Isle of Wight Godfather remake".

Isle of Wight Council said if beachgoers find a dead animal on the beach they "should report it to us so we can arrange for collection".

Warning: Some people may find the below image upsetting

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said it had contacted environmental health to retrieve any outstanding heads.

Mr Riches has lived in the area for more than a year and regularly takes his son on the beach to pick up pebbles but he said he had not seen anything like this before.

"It's quite disgusting really, I don't know where they have come from, I can only speculate.

"It's not very nice for people on the beautiful beaches on the Isle of Wight," he added.

The recovery worker said he often went for a swim in the area at lunchtime.

"I'm not going to let the pigs stop me swimming," he said.

Mat Riches The ear of a pigs head on the sand of a beachMat Riches
Isle of Wight Council advised beachgoers to contact them if they find dead animals on the beach