Was dolphin washed up in Devon shot?

Local reports from Kingswear, near Dartmouth in Devon have suggested that a dolphin that washed up on the shoreline may have been shot.

A pod of more than 20 common dolphins have been seen in and around the harbour causing some suggestions that they may have been looking for their missing pod mate.

A local parish councillor for Dartmouth said that one woman had reported that she saw two bullet holes in the dolphin's head. However, these could be puncture wounds caused after the dolphin washed up  as a result of depredation – birds pecking for example.

A post mortem is to be carried out and results revealed soon afterwards.