TWO friends have spoken of their shock and delight after discovering what they described as a 'dragon skull' on a Hamble beach.
Neighbours Abi Peckham, 33, and Christie Lush, 31, were walking Abi's dog Mini along the stretch of waterfront by Ensign Way in the morning when they discovered the unusual remains.
Christie said: "We both enjoy metal detecting so we always walk with heads down looking for treasure.
"I have such a bionic eye and that's when I saw it, sat on a pile of stones left behind from the tide."
When Game of Thrones fan Abi picked up the small object, her brain immediately turned to the fire-breathing creature.
Abi added: "I couldn't believe what we were looking at - it looked so much like a dragon skull. It has such an unusual shape and the tip almost looks like the breathing holes of a snake's nose; there's also a tunnel inside which looks like it could be a throat.
"I love aliens so at first I even wondered if it could even be something extraterrestrial."
While the pair could not contain their excitement, chihuahua Mini, aged five, barely 'battled an eyelid', Abi admitted.
The pair took the unidentified firebreathing object back to their homes in Catland Copse, Bursledon, where they plan to put it on display in their gardens, alongside the unusual hunks of metal they have discovered while metal detecting and crystals they have cracked open from stones found while beachcombing.
Abi said: "We are racking our brains to find out what it might be. We would be more than happy to hand it over to experts if they wanted to run tests on it.
"It would be amazing if it turned out to be some kind of new species. Was it dangerous when it was alive? Did it live in the water? Although I hope it could breathe fire, I think it would be a bit of hard work to do that underwater."
The Echo cleared up the mystery on Tuesday, 16 May, when they approached the University of Southampton to see if one of their marine biologists could work out what it is.
A spokesperson for the university said it was most likely the torso and pelvis of a marine bird such as a gull.
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