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The whale that captured British hearts after becoming stranded in the Thames has died.

The 18ft (5m) northern bottle-nosed whale had been placed in a special barge after it became stranded near London's Battersea Bridge.

The plan was to set it free in deep waters but when the animal's condition worsened rescuers aimed for a release into the Thames estuary. However, the whale finally died at about 1900 GMT en route to Whitstable, Kent.

The drama had begun a day earlier as the whale was spotted moving westwards up the Thames past the Houses of Parliament. Britain's self-regard as a nation of animal-lovers suddenly kicked in and by mid-afternoon a full-scale rescue effort, duly televised, was underway.

River police, whale experts and teams of divers rushed to the scene. Tugs shadowed the creature on the water in an effort to persuade the whale, one of two that had been spotted yesterday in the Thames estuary 58 kms east of the capital, while airborne TV crews filmed it from above.

Despite the best efforts of the tugs and bystanders who waded fully-clothed into the water to shoo it back midstream, the whale became agitated when it ventured into the shallow waters between a pontoon and the bankside and appeared to injure itself in a collision with a boat.

The early concern was that the creature might become stranded. But as the tide began to turn and with the whale showing little sign of heading back toward the sea, experts began to suggest that becoming beached might be its best chance of survival.

• MICHAEL BRUNTON
• Brave rescue efforts end tragically as animal dies on way to release