"I just thought it was a plastic container at first!"

Minehead's Anne Lawton was out walking her dog along the beach in Minehead out near the golf course when her dog started showing interest in the mysterious item.

On closer inspection Anne was shocked to find herself face to tentacle with a jellyfish with the body 'the size of a beach ball'.

"It was quite scary-looking and there was another smaller one close by too, I'd never seen anything like it in Minehead before," Mrs Lawton said.

Beccy MacDonald, Somerset Wildlife Trust's coastal survey and data officer confirmed Anne had stumbled upon a Barrel Jellyfish.

"They do sting although it is not normally dangerous to humans," Mrs MacDonald said.

"It is advisable not to touch them as they can still sting when dead.

"According to recent research these jellyfish can change direction and actively swim to find their prey, plankton, whereas most other species can only drift with the current."

Barrel Jellyfish can grow to the size of dustbin lids and have eight tentacles. They are attracted inshore by plankton blooms which means they can wash up on shores, usually in May and June.