THE JAWS of a large fanged fish have been discovered in Littleton on Severn, several hundred metres from the riverbank.

Originally thought to be the remains of a shark when they were found by farmer Rob Taylor, because of the multiple rows of sharp teeth, it has since been suggested it could be from a Grouper Fish, or more likely a Monkfish.

But Mr Taylor, who found the remains while putting up fences around his property, said that regardless of the species, it was something that he had never seen before, and definitely not a type of fish that usually makes its home in the Severn.

Mr Taylor told the Gazette: “I saw it in the middle of the field and thought ‘what the hell is that?’

“I didn’t pick it up to start with, I just looked at it and wondered what it could be.

“It's clear that the foxes have brought it up from the river but it’s a mystery as to why something this strange is this far upstream.”

He said that the remains were clearly of recently deceased, adding: “I thought to start with that it was a shark. My wife agreed with me but we still weren’t sure.

“We showed a picture to our vet who suggested it could be a Grouper Fish, which we have looked up and found it is not native anywhere near to us.”

Referring to the drying up of the salmon fishing industry on the River Severn, Mr Taylor said "there is not a lot of life down there" on the tidal stretch of the river near where he lives, adding that he only sees “just the small mud crabs”.

After some investigation by the Gazette into the remains, which measure more than a foot in diameter, and asking local experts, it has been suggested that they could belong to a Monkfish, which is commonly found in the Atlantic and sometimes in the Irish Sea, but rarely this far upstream.