Beachgoers warned of jellyfish danger

DEVON beachgoers are urged to be vigilant after further reports of Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish along the coast.

They can inflict a powerful and potentially fatal sting

Marine experts said they had been discovered on coasts in areas including Devon, Cornwall and the Isle of Wight.

The Marine Conservation Society warned that the jellyfish were a danger to children and could cause victims to go into anaphylactic shock.

There have been no reports of anybody being stung in the UK but people have been urged to be careful.

A man-of-war is made up of a colony of creatures to form one jellyfish.

The long tentacles can grow up to 165ft (50m) and hang from a balloon-like float resting on the surface.

The sting is not usually fatal but extremely painful.

Man-of-war colonies are usually found in the Florida Keys and off the Atlantic coast, the Gulf Stream, the Gulf of Mexico, the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean.

Strong winds have been blowing them on to the South West coast.