A Portuguese Man o’ War. (0476526)

BEACHGOERS are being warned to watch out for poisonous jellyfish.

Portuguese Man o’ War have been found washed up on the south coast of England, swept there from the Caribbean by unseasonably high winds.

There have been 19 washed up in the past week and marine experts are expecting more over the coming days.

Only five had been spotted in Britain in the last five years.

The last time one was found here was on 24 August last year at Portelet Bay. It was one of a dozen on the beach.

Three weeks ago, France’s Mediterranean coast was overrun with the creatures – paramedics treated 500 sting victims in a single day.

‘They are fascinating creatures,’ said local marine biologist Richard Lord.

He said technically speaking the Portuguese Man o’ War was not a jellyfish but a colonial hydroid with each tentacle specialised with an individual role.