A shark fin that sparked panic on a British beach was a fake planted by a prankster.

The anonymous practical joker went to great lengths to carve the shape of the distinctive dorsal fin out of hardened insulation foam and paint it dark grey.

They then fixed it to a wooden cross with a weight on the bottom that kept the fin afloat.

It was placed in the sea about 300 metres from the coast of Torquay, Devon.