A BASKING shark which became stranded on the North Yorkshire coast has had to be put down.

The RNLI were involved in attempts to rescue the shark which kept trying to beach near Primrose Valley in Filey.

They attempted to coax it back out to sea after receiving calls from bystanders who spotted the shark in shallow waters yesterday evening, but sadly the animal, which was believed to be ill and was listing to one side, had to be put down by a vet.

Basking sharks are the second-largest shark, after the whale shark, and eat plankton. Adults typically reach 7.9 m (26 ft) in length.