There were heartbreaking scenes on Largs beach last week as a young porpoise perished despite desperate efforts by wildlife experts to keep the beautiful creature alive.

Both Hessilhead Wildlife Centre and the Clyde Marine Mammal Project received reports that the young calf was struggling in the shallow waters.

Jane Logan contacted the 'News' to say: "Just in front of the prom in front of lifeboat station, it was struggling to get back into deeper water. One kind gent took off his shoes and socks and tried to return it to deeper water but I'm afraid it was washed back ashore."

David Nairn of the Clyde Marine Mammal Project described it as a heartbreaking sight, and said: "It was a wee male which was only a couple of weeks old, and not independently feeding. It had separated from its mother and there was no way it could have survived - the poor wee thing had been floating upside down and had water in its lungs. It had partially drowned already, and had no energy.

"We waited for the vet to arrive to euthanise the creature as do not have the facilities to treat neonatal strandings like this. We could only make him more comfortable and animal died on the beach in front of the Largs Lifeboat Station.

"June is the height of porpoise calving period in the Clyde and animals are very sensitive to disturbance and being displaced from areas they normally utilise at this time of year. We can help these animals during this critical period by being aware of their presence, reducing speed while zipping about on the water and switching off your echo sounder, when navigationally safe, to reduce acoustic pollution in the Clyde."

The Clyde Mammal Project would like to thank Samantha Jane McFarlane, Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue , Largs First Responder Unit and volunteers on the scene for all their help.

And on Monday of this week, another dead porpoise calf was picked up off Gourock.

David commented: "It's a really difficult time of year for these wee porps. Its an indication that the Clyde is an important calving and nursery area for this protected species and imperative that we collect population data and determine the cumulative impacts and changes they face."

David added that he hoped that the new Clyde Marine Planning Partnership would assist in providing such protection. It will see the creation of a regional marine plan which will include: Assessing the condition of the region, setting economic, social, marine ecosystem and and climate change policies.