EXPERTS have stated a dead porpoise found in a pool of blood in an alleyway probably died as a result of doing too much mating.

The mammal’s body was discovered by puzzled residents in Pilgrims Walk, Worthing, on Saturday, November 1.

The British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) told The Argus the five-foot long, 110 pound porpoise had probably been washed up on Worthing beach before somebody carried it more than a mile inland and dumped its body.

Rob Deaville, from the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP), carried out an autopsy on the porpoise and revealed it was likely to have died from starvation after using too much energy mating.

He said: “The male porpoise was in a pretty poor way.

“Its body was fairly fresh, which would indicate it had died up to a couple of days before it was found.

“The cause of death seems to be starvation and hypothermia.

“This appears to be an elderly porpoise, which would have had to expend most of his energy reserves to mate – leaving him deathly hungry and cold.

“Harbour porpoises live on a knife edge, and if they don't get enough food, their fat reserves deplete, meaning they don't have enough energy to catch food.

“Their health spirals downward, and they die as a result of both starvation and hypothermia.”

Mr Deaville said it was impossible to tell where along the beach it was washed up – but he “strongly suspected” whoever decided to carry it from the beach into the town had been drinking alcohol.

He added: “Sadly, it's not the first time this has happened, and it won't be the last.

“We got a call once about a dolphin that was stuffed inside a phone box in Kent.”

Tim Allen, 31, of Pilgrims Walk, spoke to The Argus after the initial discovery.

He said his neighbour knocked on his door and told him there was something he needed to see.

He said: “I was confused. It’s a weird place to dump a porpoise body. We found it at 5.30pm and the RSPCA came and covered it in a wrap at 6.15pm.

“The council or someone came and took it the next morning.

“It was very surreal.”