The rotting carcass of a young sperm whale which became stranded on Hunstanton beach on Friday could be incinerated.

The dead whale was the first of five - with four more washed ashore in Lincolnshire - to get into difficulty and come to rest on the east coast.

So far, efforts to remove the whale have proved difficult as access to the mammal is hampered by large boulders at the base of the cliff.

But according to a spokesman for West Norfolk Council the carcass is likely to be removed by the end of the week if necessary arrangements are finalised quickly.

The whale is likely to be cut into sections, where it lies on Hunstanton beach, and transported to an animal incineration facility out of the county.

The spokesman added the arrangements have taken time to make due to the size, weight and rapidly advancing state of decomposition.

Meanwhile, she said anyone who attempted to remove parts of the whale would be committing a criminal offence and added the warning to members of the public to keep their distance from the carcass was still in place.

One of the whales to wash ashore in Lincolnshire exploded during tests because of a build-up of internal gases.

Another is on a former bombing range in Lincolnshire which is not safe to enter.