Beach-goers were taken by surprise this morning when a deer was spotted ‘jumping’ off the end of a pier into the sea.
The deer reportedly jumped off the end of Clacton Pier and tried to paddle towards the Jaywick side, before being swept in the other direction.
One pier worker confirmed the animal had ended up in the water and found its way back onto the Essex beach.
Michael Puntschart, from Clacton, described how he saw the muntjac deer scampering up the beach near his seafood stall, Tubby Isaacs, at around 11.30am this morning.
He said he saw the deer heading in the direction of Holland-on-Sea.
"I push-biked along to take the picture about half a mile towards Holland-on-Sea," he said.
"It caused quite a stir along the seafront. It's not a common sight."
The pictures show what is believed to be a muntjac deer trotting along the sand near the walkway.
It is not yet known what happened to the animal.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here