If you're watching television this weekend you might recognise somewhere familiar.

A fossil hunter has been filming with Sir David Attenborough after discovering a brand new species of ichthyosaur in Lyme Regis.

Chris Moore, who has been running the Forge Fossils workshop in Charmouth for more than 30 years, discovered the new species of ‘fish-lizard’ on Monmouth Beach in January 2016.

A large block of limestone fell onto the beach following a storm and Mr Moore noticed the block contained a cross-section of a fossil which turned out to be the creature’s two flippers.

His remarkable discovery is the subject of a one-hour special, Attenborough and the Sea Dragon, due to air on BBC One on Sunday night.

Mr Moore said: “It’s been a year-long process to get the documentary made – I found the fossils the winter before last and it’s taken a while to get permission and for excavations to take place. It’s brilliant that it’s been made – and it’s such an honour.”

The documentary will explore the Jurassic Coast, in particular Lyme Regis, where Mr Moore discovered the 200 million-year-old fossil, and reveal how he and his team faced a race against time as they had to dig the bones out of the rock by hand before winter storms arrived.

The fossils were so well-preserved that the team of scientists have since been able to use the latest techniques to analyse them, giving new insight into the lives of the creatures which could be a completely new species of ichthyosaur.

The extraordinary specimens discovered by Mr Moore were found in preserved skin, changing how scientists believed the predators looked.

As the documentary follows Mr Moore’s discovery - from his initial find to how he and his team painstakingly recovered the preserved bones - the team realise there is a 200 million-year-old murder mystery to solve. Through hours of forensic work, they reveal that creature was most likely attacked by a predator called temnodontosaurus.

During the special, a perfect replica of the skeleton of Mr Moore’s discovery will be constructed before the creature’s physical attributes will be scientifically tested, with the help of CGI animation.

Attenborough and the Sea Dragon will air on BBC One at 8pm on Sunday.