By The Associated Press

LONDON - A local council says the fossilized skull of a giant sea monster has been found off the southern coast of England.

The fossil came from a pliosaur, a ferocious predator that lived in the oceans 150 million years ago. The skull was discovered in Dorset by a collector and measures 2.4 metres (8 feet) in length. The discovery was announced Tuesday.

Scientists believe the creature would have been some 16 metres (52 feet) long.

David Martill, a paleontologist from the University of Portsmouth, says pliosaurs had short necks and huge, crocodile-like heads with powerful jaws and a set of razor-sharp teeth.

He said they used paddle-like limbs to propel their bodies through the water and were generally carnivores.

The skull will be put on display in a Dorset museum.