A team of coastguards has succeeded in freeing a whale which beached itself on rocks in Portland Harbour, Dorset.

The whale, believed to be a juvenile humpback whale, was spotted by a member of the public at about 1130 GMT on Friday.

A Coastguard rescue team later manoeuvred the whale back into the water.

The whale is now said to be swimming around the harbour, and shows no sign of heading out to sea.

We are keeping an eye on it and hoping it will swim away Portland coastguard

A Coastguard spokesman said: "The whale beached itself at 1130am at Portland port.

"A coastguard team managed to re-orientate it and get it back into the water using a bit of elbow grease.

"It is in a deep water berth where ships come in, we are keeping an eye on it and hoping it will swim away."

The spokesman said the South Marine Life Rescue Group, a wildlife charity, was monitoring the progress of the whale.