RESCUERS are battling to save a 26ft whale washed up on a North-east beach.
The minke whale has been found found in Druridge Bay, Northumberland, alive, but in a poor condition.
A spokeswoman for the British Divers Marine Life Rescue charity said: "We have people down there at the moment and a local vet is on her way.
"It is not looking in very good shape and it is incredibly thin.
"We will wait until the vet is down there and then we will take it from there."
The charity's operations director said the stricken whale is unlikely to survive.
Stephen Marsh said: "We don't think it is viable for a refloat.
"It is too thin, it hasn't got any muscle on it at all, and the last thing we do is put an animal back in the sea that's likely to suffer and come back again."
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