HOPES of protecting the huge basking shark which swims off the North West coast have been dashed, one of the region's MEPs has said.

Delegates at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, held in Kenya, rejected plans to control the worldwide trade in sharks.

Among the proposals were measures to save the near-extinct basking shark, which swims off the North West coast.

Its huge fins are kept as trophies or used as shark fin soup.

Chris Davies, Liberal Democrat North West MEP said: "We cannot afford to lose any more species from this planet, let alone the largest animal which swims in the seas off our own coast."