A DOG walker discovered a body washed up on a Weymouth beach yesterday.

Patrick Donnelly, of Preston, found a hand sticking out of the sand at Redcliff Point while he was walking his two dogs.

He said: "A jacket caught my eye. I gave it a pull and saw a hand poking out of the sleeve.

"It felt heavy and I pushed it with a stick and realised it wasn't a dummy.

"All I could see was the hand because everything else was covered in seaweed."

Crime scene investigators and police from Dorset's marine section scoured the area for evidence and recovered the body.

Police said they believe the body is that of a man in his 50s, and are currently not treating the death as suspicious.

A spokesman for Dorset Police said: "Police received a call from a member of the public at 2.23pm.

"Crime scene investigators and officers of Dorset Police's marine section were at the scene to gather and preserve evidence and to recover the body.

"At this time there nothing to suggest the death may have been suspicious - inquiries are continuing."