Starring role for Budleigh

Budleigh Salterton's beach is famous for its pebbles, but over the last few days it has been talked about for a different reason, with thousands of dead starfish being mysteriously washed ashore.

For more than a mile a line of the little creatures lay sadly on the shoreline, having drifted with the tide and been stranded on the pebbles.

An Environment Agency spokesman said it was likely the starfish had entered shallow waters in search of mussels.

"As they get hungry they get more desperate. They take risks and come into shallow water where they're more vulnerable."

Stranded starfish are a common occurrence at this time of the year, especially on beaches along the South Coast of England.