THE dead minke whale that washed up on the foreshore at MOD Shoebury has been removed and incinerated.

The 35 ft carcass was first spotted on Shoeburyness East Beach on Tuesday, January 5, where it remained while independent specialists took samples and completed tests.

On the morning of 7 January, the tide moved the whale further along the estuary, about 1.5km from the shore, within the Range Sea Danger Area operated.

QinetiQ, which runs the base on behalf of the MOD, tracked the carcass using radar, CCTV and patrols.

It monitored tides and the weather to identify a window in which conditions were favourable to retrieve and dispose of the remains.

After consulting several expert groups, the company used heavy-duty vehicles to lift the carcass over the sea wall, where a specialist contractor was able to load the remains for transportation to an incineration facility.

Marine experts believe the whale died after being struck by a ship.