You may expect to see a seagull, a grey seal or even a porpoise while taking a walk on one of Norfolk's beaches.

But one Winterton man got quite the shock when he saw what he thought was a kangaroo hopping among the sand dunes.

David Gahan, 48, was taking a walk with his aunt and their dogs when he spotted the animal close to Winterton Lighthouse.

Armed with his camera Mr Gahan snapped a few quick shots to get a better look at the creature.

He said: 'When I zoomed in on the photo I thought that was a really weird deer, but it seemed to jump across the deck like a totally different animal.

'We contacted Thrigby Wildlife Park but they said they did not keep any kangaroos and the police weren't aware of any sightings.'

Mr Gahan, a former fencer with May Gurney, went back and spoke to another walker: 'This man said he had seen a kangaroo a year ago but that no-one would believe him.'

However, experts at Banham Zoo said they were 99pc certain the animal was a Chinese water deer.

As its name suggests, this unusual deer is not a native UK species, having been introduced from China in the 19th century.

In its native East Asia its numbers are decreasing but in Britain it is not under threat.