A rib bone belonging to an ancient Giant Deer was found by a five-year-old when out cleaning the beach.

Fox Buchan, aged five, found the bone - dating back 11,000 years - while taking part in a Beach Buddies initiative at Ballaugh this month.

The Peel Clothworkers’ primary school student said he felt ’happy and surprised’ when he found the bone that was a lot more interesting than first expected.

’It was on the beach and I was looking for rubbish and I found it not on the sand,’ he told the Manx Independent.

’I brought it back home and showed dad, mum and brother Jet.’

When asked what drew him to pick up the piece from the foot of the cliffs, he simply replied: ’I like bones.’

Mum Diamond - a year five teacher at the Peel school - explained that Fox will show the rib bone at school assembly.

’I was amazed. I didn’t know if it was a cow bone or not. We spoke to the curator of natural history at the Manx Museum and she gave us a tour and showed us another skeleton of a giant deer found in Ballaugh a couple of months ago,’ she said. ’The bone Fox found will eventually go into the museum.’

She added that her boys’ inquisitive natures have been piqued by the discovery as they want to go to Ballaugh to find a more.

’We’re going to be there forever trying to find it, I don’t think they realise it’s rare to find an 11,000-year-old bone,’ she added. ’Fox is always picking up litter and it’s something that we teach as part of our curriculum at Peel Clothworkers’.’

Fox continued: ’I clean the rubbish off the beach because it helps the sea and animals.’

Bill Dale, founder of beach buddies, said: ’In terms of things we’ve found, it’s got to be right up there! You never know what you will find when you go beach cleaning with Beach Buddies.’

Numerous giant deer bones have been discovered along the Ballaugh coastline, said Laura McCoy, curator of natural history at the Manx National Heritage.

’It’s really nice Fox is so excited about showing his peers and grandad. I gave him a tour of the museum and the collection to show it is important to learn about natural history.

’It’s great that people talk to the Manx Museum and Manx National Heritage when they find something.’