NOVICE angler Val Fletcher has stunned the marine world by reeling in a 12ft tropical monster from her favourite spot in a tiny fishing village.

Her catch, which weighs two stone more than petite Val, has astounded marine experts because an oarfish has never been landed before off the British coast.

It took 5ft 4in, eight-stone Val 40 minutes to land the ten-stone beast, normally found 3,000ft under the Atlantic or in the warmer Mediterranean seas.

Val, 40, thought she had hooked a mackerel when she felt the tug on her line.

As she reeled in her line the body of the fish kept coming until all 11ft 7in of the huge creature emerged from the icy North Sea.

Bemused biologists say they have no idea why the creature was living in the shallows off the coast of Skinningrove, east Cleveland.

Oarfish are rarely caught alive and are hardly ever seen by seasoned fishermen.

The first mariners' tales of these lesser-known sea serpents are thought to have been spawned by fleeting glances of their huge bodies deep below the surface.

Val caught the beast with a standard fishing rod and tempted it with squid bait while on a night fishing trip with partner Robert Herrings.

The surprise haul happened at about 10.30pm and brought the fishing to a halt for some time.

Val, who has been fishing for two years, said: "I only went out to try and catch a cod and I've ended up with this monster in my freezer instead.

"I knew I had something on the line but I thought it would just be a mackerel as usual.

"I was gobsmacked when it was finally lying there in front of us. It looked prehistoric.

"I have never seen anything like it. It is a real-life sea monster."

Zara D'Aronville, displays expert at the Blue Reef Aquarium in North Tyneside, said the find was astounding.

She said: "The last recorded find of an oarfish anywhere was off the US coast in 1996.

"There has been bad weather south of here recently, with strong winds propelling the gulf streams up from the Atlantic, so that may be a reason."

The oarfish is the longest bony fish in the sea and is also known as the ribbon fish. It can grow up to 50ft in length.