Loch Ness monster search: 'Creature' seen in Sussex clouds

James Mayne said he saw Nessie in the sky above Ditchling Beacon.

The Londoner had travelled down to Sussex to walk along the South Downs Way on Thursday, August 24. 

It comes as the biggest search for the elusive creature in decades began today.

Staff from the newly revamped Loch Ness Centre at Drumnadrochit, Scotland, have teamed up with a group of independent and voluntary researchers, Loch Ness Exploration (LNE) to conduct the largest surface water survey in more than 50 years.

The search for Nessie is under way (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

• READ MORE: Woman spots Shakespeare in ceiling light

The search is expected to be the biggest of its kind since the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau studied the loch for signs of the mythical monster in 1972.

Surveying equipment that has never been used on the loch before has been deployed to uncover the secrets of the mysterious waters.

This includes drones that produce thermal images of the water from the air using infrared cameras, as it is believed observing heat from above could provide a crucial component for identifying any strange anomalies.

Around two hundred volunteers will help record natural - and any unusual - sights on Loch Ness from vantage points on land.

The BBC said almost 300 people have signed up to monitor a live stream from the search, which is taking place on Saturday, August 26 and Sunday, August 27.