THE juvenile pilot whale struggling with injuries after being washed up at an Isle of Wight beach, has been put down by vets.

The whale was put to sleep on a stretch of beach between Brook and Brighstone, at around 1pm today (Saturday, October 5).

Read more: Isle of Wight seaside recovery of dead whale near Brook

Paul Blackley, who was one of the first to try to help save the injured whale from drowning, watched with Needles and Ventnor coastguard rescue volunteers, as it was first sedated, then given an injection to end its life.

The young animal is believed to have weighed around 400lbs.

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Paul said the whale had appeared to have been stranded for some time, and that it's balance had gone — rolling upside down and struggling to right itself so it could breath.

What happens next for the whale?

Natasha Dix, the Isle of Wight Council’s service director for waste, environment and planning, said: “The council's waste service is arranging a specialist collection of the whale, via a Pet and Equine Crematorium.

"It will be taken to a licenced storage facility in the meantime. We are in discussion with the Cetacean Stranding Investigation Group on the mainland, who wish to collect the whale early next week to autopsy.”