A FOSSIL fanatic made a huge discovery at a local beach on the renowned Jurassic Coast.

Ava Pendred, 33, from Weymouth, was exploring at Bowleaze in late 2013 when she came across the large fossil.

Despite discovering it almost two years ago, Ava didn't have it cleaned until recently.

After the huge fossil was cleaned, she discovered a large ammonite in the centre.

Ava, who works as a retail supervisor at a local store, explained the struggle she had once she had found the fossil, and how she had to call in extra help to transport it to her home.

She said: “I was on my own that day.

"I couldn’t get it back home on my own.

“I went back a few days later with some friends and we used a tarpaulin to drag it to the car.”

Cleaning fossils can be quite an expensive task, so it took Ava a couple of years to do on her own.

There is also a risk that when it is cleaned there may not be anything in the middle of the fossil.

This time, though, Ava got lucky and discovered the large ammonite, which measures more than one foot wide.

Ava is a fossil enthusiast and regularly goes looking around the area for fossils but this was her biggest find yet.

She said: “It is quite a big fossil.

"They are quite common on Portland that sort of size but I only know of one other found at Bowleaze Cove that size.

“My room at home is just full of them, it is like a little museum.

“That is the biggest I’ve got.”

Ava’s love of all things Jurassic even saw her study Palaeontology at Portsmouth University.

But it was when she returned to live in Weymouth a few years ago that she got the chance to start exploring again.

It is hard to keep her away from the coastline searching for fossils.

She said: “I’ve really got back in to it the last few years since I moved back to Weymouth.

“I’m out every day off I have, whenever I can really.”

Bowleaze Cove is made up of Kimmeridge clay.

The clay is well exposed on the foreshore during winter months and this is said to be one of the best places to collect fossils along the coast.

Flat and worn ammonites are relatively common in the area, but more exploring is required to find whole ones.

The Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site is a premier site for fossil collectors and collectors are welcome at many parts to collect them. Collecting fossils is seen as a key part of preserving the coast as if they are not collected, the fossils will be destroyed.