Thames whale lifted onto barge

A rescue team of medics and vets today successfully lifted the River Thames whale on to a barge hoping to take it back towards the sea.

An inflatable pontoon system was used to support the 15ft northern bottle-nosed whale before a crane lifted it out of the water close to Battersea Bridge in central London.

The barge then started to move downriver towards the Thames Estuary where the results of tests will then determine whether it is safe to release it back into deeper water.

Blubber and blood samples have already been taken from the animal to assess its health.

Thousands of onlookers gathering on bridges and the embankment cheered as the whale was moved using a sling which had been carefully wrapped around pontoons.